


The Spark That Lit The Fire

by Supamonkey



Series: True Spark [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 3A Canon Divergence, Alpha Derek, Angst, Bonds, Derek is a bit of a failwolf but not completely, F/M, Female Stiles, Female Stiles Stilinski, Hurt Stiles, Lydia is a force to be reckoned with, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Major Character Death (Sort of), Original Character - Freeform, Sheriff's name is John, Spark Stiles Stilinski, True Spark, alpha pack, craziness ensues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-05 07:06:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 35,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13382691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supamonkey/pseuds/Supamonkey
Summary: The nightmares started the night that Jackson was killed and came back as a werewolf. The same night that Stiles was tortured by Gerard Argent. The same night that Derek kicked her out of the pack. At the end of the summer Stiles decides to leave and spend some times away from Beacon Hills and all it's supernatural craziness. Beacon Hills doesn't have the same idea. After a year three things happen that drag Stiles back:1) She gets a call telling her an Alpha Pack has crossed the border into Beacon Hills2) One of the wards Stiles' left on the border of the town is set off as something dark crosses it3) Stiles gets a text from Lydia asking her to come homePacking up and heading back to town might be the worst or best decision Stiles has made since leaving, but with the Alpha Pack threatening Derek and his own, and bodies being left behind in the preserve that have nothing to do with werewolves, can Stiles figure out how to keep everyone alive? Or will she be too late to save them all?I do not give permission for a part or whole of this work to be displayed or discussed anywhere but on A03. Thank you.





	1. Chapter One

**STILES**

The day Jackson died and was reborn as a werewolf was the day that the nightmares started. They lasted the whole summer, the same images flashing through Stiles’ mind night after night, dragging her from her sleep.

This morning was no different. She woke in a cold sweat, her body sore from countless sleepless nights.

She jumped when her dad knocked on her door, the book she had been reading the night before clattering to the floor.

‘Sorry to wake you kiddo,’ he said, poking his head into her room. ‘I’ve been called out to work, just wanted to let you know so you didn’t freak out when you got up.’

‘You didn’t wake me dad, it’s fine,’ she said, forcing a smile on her face.

‘Got any plans for the day?’ her dad asked.

‘Lydia’s coming over in about fifteen minutes,’ Stiles said. ‘She’s going to go shopping with me to grab a few of the last supplies I’ll need before I leave.’

Her dad stepped into her room.

‘So, you’re really going,’ he said quietly.

‘I can’t get you to change your mind?’

‘I gave them the whole summer dad,’ she said wearily. ‘The whole summer to just contact me, and the only person who did was Lydia of all people. The banshee who had managed to pull her mass murdering boyfriend back from the brink of death. The banshee who barely looked at me before this year, let alone talk to me. My supposed best friend didn’t even think to say hi or ask if I was okay. If it’s because Derek has them on a ‘no talking to Stiles’ leash then that’s just worse because that means they’re actually listening to him.’

Stiles had thought about it a lot since the day she had come home after being tortured by Gerard. She had been struggling already, but that day Derek had taken one look at her, asked her what had happened, and when she lied to him he didn’t even pick up on it. Then he told her that she wasn’t pack, that she was too weak to run with them. That had been the last straw. The last thing she had done before breaking contact with the pack was to make Erica and Boyd promise not to tell Derek what had really happened with Gerard. They asked her why but didn’t argue when she didn’t tell them. If she was going to be part of the pack it was going to be on her own terms, not because Derek had realised what a huge mistake he had made.

‘Where are you going to go?’ her dad asked. She shrugged. ‘Deaton has taught me everything he can about my magic. He’s a druid not a Spark, so there’s only so much he can do. He has a friend up North who’s a Spark and has agreed to teach me so I’ll start there. After that I’m not sure. I’ve talked to the school and they’ve agreed to let me do my work online so I can still do school no matter where I am. They say I can come back whenever I want. I have that inheritance money from when my great aunt in Poland died so I won’t be strapped for cash.’

‘You’ve really planned this out properly haven’t you?’

‘I can’t stay here dad,’ she said sadly. ‘There’s nothing here for me but you. I want a chance to live, without the pack looking over my shoulder.’

He pulled her into a hug, sniffing as he held back tears. ‘I know baby,’ he said quietly.

‘I’m really gonna miss you kiddo.’

She pulled back, smiling as she wiped a tear from his cheek.

‘I’ll miss you too dad.’

She reached over to her bedside table, grabbing a thick envelope from the drawer.

‘I need you to give this to him dad,’ she said. ‘When you think they need it I want you to give it to him.’

Her dad took the envelope, nodding. ‘Of course I will,’ he said.

The doorbell rang, effectively cutting off their conversation.

‘That’ll be Lydia. I should get ready,’ Stiles said, getting up and heading to the bathroom.

‘I’ll let her in and send her up,’ her dad said. ‘Have a good day kiddo.’

As Stiles stripped and stepped into the shower she heard her dad open the front door and bid goodbye to Lydia. A few moments later her bedroom door banged as Lydia strode in.

‘I’ll be out in a second,’ she called.

Washing her hair she wrapped it up before stepping out of the shower, drying herself off and heading into her room. Lydia was by her bed, laying out an outfit that Stiles’ knew she would end up wearing whether she liked it or not. The dress was one that Lydia had made her buy at the start of the summer but she had never worn it. It was dark green with flowers printed all over, with cap sleeves. The torso of the dress was sheer so that the black bralet worn underneath could be clearly seen.

‘You expect me to wear that to go shopping?’ Stiles asked, with a whine in her voice.

‘Don’t whine at me Stiles Stilinski,’ Lydia said, mercifully pulling out Stiles’ black Dr Martens. ‘I want you looking fabulous so that if his highness Derek Hale happens to see you he’ll know what he’s missing.’

‘I’m leaving in the morning Lyds, and I doubt he and the pack will even notice I’m gone until I don’t show up at school in the morning. If they even notice then.’

Lydia whirled on her.

‘It can’t hurt to be prepared for every eventuality,’ Lydia said, a smile on her face.

Stiles grumbled a bit before pulling on the outfit.

‘Why are we going shopping again?’ she asked, tying her boots.

‘Because you’ll be driving hours in that jeep of yours and if anything you at least need a few hours to get out of this house before you go. Also, I need some retail therapy myself to be honest, and of course a pair of killer heels for the first day back.’

Stiles snorted.

‘Of course you do,’ she said.

When she stood up Lydia ran a critical eye over her before pulling her into a tight hug.

‘You better keep in touch Stiles,’ she said quietly, her voice thick with tears.

Stiles wrapped her own arms around Lydia’s shoulders. ‘Of course I will Lyds. I don’t plan on being gone forever.’

‘I should hope not,’ Lydia said. ‘But when you do come back I expect you to be enough of a kick-ass to beat the living daylights out of the alpha of that stupid wolf pack.’

‘The stupid wolf pack that you’re still a part of?’ Stiles joked.

‘Only for you,’ Lydia said, ‘and Jackson of course. Derek really is an idiot though.’

‘I know,’ Stiles said. ‘I don’t know why I ever thought that we could get along. I don’t know why I ever thought…’ Stiles paused.

‘Why you thought that you might be in love with him?’ Lydia asked.

Lydia wiped a tear from Stiles cheek as it rolled down her face.

‘I understand why you have to go,’ she said. ‘I really do, but I want to make sure that _you_ know why.’

‘I can’t stay,’ Stiles said, grabbing Lydia’s shoulders. ‘I need to figure out who I am without the pack, without Scott and without Derek. I need to put them behind me if I’m ever going to move forward.’

‘And one day Derek will wake up and regret ever letting you go,’ Lydia said.

‘I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,’ Stiles laughed.

********************

Stiles left at 2am the next day, heading North in her beaten up old jeep.

She stopped when she reached the you are now leaving Beacon Hills sign.

On the sign she carved runes that melted into the wood, sealing up the barrier she had been erecting around the town gradually over the summer. If anything supernatural so much as touched the wards Stiles would know.

Jumping back in her jeep Stiles got on the road.

As she crossed the Beacon Hills border she felt a weight lift off her chest, like she was leaving her worries behind at that goodbye sign.

Stiles spent the first nine months away from Beacon Hills with Deaton’s Spark friend, Imogen, and they were some of the worst and best nine months she had had in a long time.

She kept on sending photos to Lydia and her dad of all the new things she was trying, the places she saw, the friends she made. She video called them every week. It had become more often than that when Lydia had called her out of the blue a month after she left to tell her that Jackson had gone to London. Lydia was heartbroken.

Stiles was still having the nightmares. The same ones over and over again, haunting every hour she slept. But she learned to deal with them. She got better at understanding her power, and controlling it.

After nine months her best friend Kyle, a Druid, talked about hitting the road to travel the states. Stiles decided to join him. They spent the next three months meeting magic users and wolf packs alike, and helping to face threats in various territories.

Stiles had never through she would see as much as she had, but she also knew it couldn’t last.

At the end of their third month they were on the trail of a Druid using dark magic that they had been following for two weeks. They had been given the case by a group of hunters who were finding it hard to follow the Druid with their more traditional methods. The hunters had given Stiles and Kyle records of the Druid’s movements from over a year ago. The Druid had slowly been making their way across state lines and into California, dropping bodies behind them. They had stopped in an area that Stiles was familiar with, about fifty miles outside of Beacon Hills, for a couple of weeks before even Stiles and Kyle had lost track of them.

They were investigating the sixth body the Druid had left behind when three things happened in quick succession.

1) Imogen called Stiles to tell her that a group of hunters they knew had spotted a pack Alpha werewolves heading for the Beacon Hills area a few weeks previously. The pack was one that Stiles and Kyle had run into when they first hit the road, and they were by no means friendly.

2) Five minutes after she got off the phone to Imogen Stiles felt one of her wards around Beacon Hills shiver as something crossed the border, something dark.

3) At the same time her phone chimed as a text came in from Lydia. It simply said: **Something’s coming. Beacon Hills is in danger. Please come home.**

Stiles told Kyle and they followed the mantra they had come up with. One is of interest, two is a coincidence, but three’s a pattern. Kyle contacted a few of the hunters they had met along the way to carry on their job of trying to track the druid before he packed the jeep and they hit the road.

Just over a year after she had left, Stiles was headed back to Beacon Hills.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter on Derek's year without Stiles

**DEREK**

The past year had been hard. A whirlwind of building and training the pack, facing off threats and dealing with a rival alpha who had wanted to take over the Hale territory.

That day still plays back in his dreams every now and then. The day when he got text after text from his pack telling them that Stiles wasn’t at school. They searched for days, even after Stiles’ dad told them that she was safe, and that she wasn’t coming back.

Nine months later the Sheriff had given a thick envelope with his name written on it in a familiar scrawl, Stiles’ scrawl.

When he had opened it he had found letters to each member of the pack.

He had given them out at the next pack meeting and watched as each of his betas read them before they all began to break down one by one.

Derek read his own that night and understood why.

Stiles had written to them all a general letter for the pack, telling them that she was leaving, confirming everything the Sheriff had said. She had asked them not to look for her, telling them that she was happier without them.

He didn’t know what the other’s personalised letters had said, but his was just two sentences, the last two lines of a poem Stiles had taught Derek. One she had learned from her mother.

_Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;_

_I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night._

Derek sat with that letter scrunched in his hand that night, and for the first time in a long time, the alpha cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very very short chapter on Derek's year without Stiles, just to give a bit of context for the next few chapters and the rest of the story.


	3. Chapter Three

**STILES**

Red eyes flashed from the darkness surrounding her. She heard screams and scraping like nails on a chalkboard. There were screams and growls. Images of blood and werewolf eyes and fighting flashed across her eyes.

A voice, that voice that had haunted her dreams for over a year, sounded like it was right in her skull.

 _‘War is coming little Spark’_.

With another growl and a flash of claws and red in front of her eyes she jolted awake.

‘Up and at em’ Smidge,’ Kyle called, running into Stiles’ room. ‘It’s the first day back at school and we’re not going to be late.’

Stiles rolled over, groaning.

‘I cannot believe that I let you talk me into going back to Beacon Hills High.’

‘Oh come on grumpy guts,’ Kyle said, coming to sit next to Stiles on her bed. ‘We graduate this year and if we’re going to be here a while, dealing with the Alpha pack that’s arrived in town I also actually want to have a life alongside.’

‘A life that includes homework and finals?’ Stiles deadpanned.

‘If that’s what normal is then yes,’ Kyle said. ‘Now get your butt out of bed so we can go to school.’

‘Fine,’ Stiles grumped, pushing the covers back. ‘But when Harris starts making your life miserable don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

Kyle laughed, pausing in the doorway.

‘Your dad’s making waffles if you want any.’

She picked up a pillow, throwing it at him.

‘Is that a question you really need answered?’ she asked, laughing as the pillow hit him straight in the face. He threw the pillow back at her and she stopped it mid-air, letting it fall onto the bed.

‘That’s why I didn’t phrase it as a question,’ he said before turning and heading down the corridor. ‘And using your Sparky powers is cheating,’ he called over his shoulder.

She laughed, jumping in the shower and getting ready as quickly as possible. She decided to pull on a pair of skinny jeans and a loose fitting, blue blouse that Lydia had sent her in the first couple of months. It had sheer sleeves, showing off her tattoos, but she didn’t mind.

She looked herself over and frowned at the dark circles under her eyes before heading downstairs for breakfast.

‘Morning kiddo,’ her dad greeted, laying a plate of waffles in front of her at the breakfast bar.

‘Morning dad,’ she said, pulling the plates of waffles towards her and drowning them in chocolate syrup.

‘That’s disgusting,’ Kyle said as she cut off a large chunk of waffle and shoved it in her mouth. She screwed her nose up at him, staring pointedly at his own maple covered waffles. ‘Hey, maple syrup is good. Chocolate syrup is sacrilege to the waffle gods.’

Stiles snorted, choking on the waffle in her mouth.

‘Only you would think that,’ Stiles said.

She looked at her dad who was standing across from them, a smile on his face as he watched the exchange.

‘What time do you work today dad?’ she asked, eating another piece of waffle.

‘I’m on the late shift so I don’t start until the afternoon. I won’t be here when you get back. Although I’ve got some stuff to look into this morning.’

‘What stuff?’ Stiles asked.

‘Just an accident on the highway,’ her dad said. ‘The trucker claims that a pack of deer ran out and then stopped right in front of him. Almost as if they wanted to be run over.’

‘That’s really strange,’ Stiles said. ‘Why would they do that?’

‘I have no idea,’ her dad replied. ‘I’ll let you know if I figure it out. What about you? Any plans for after school?’

‘I think Kyle and I might do some training,’ Stiles said. ‘I want to keep on top of everything.’

‘We also need to see the alpha at some point,’ Kyle said. ‘Ask for permission to stay in his territory.’

Stiles grimaced, the waffle in front of her suddenly losing its sugary appeal.

‘That to,’ she said quietly.

‘The sooner you do it the sooner it’s over with,’ the Sheriff said.

‘I know dad,’ Stiles replied, standing and grabbing her bag. ‘I’ll see you later.’

Her dad nodded, ‘have a good day at school kiddo, you too Kyle.’

‘Will do John,’ Kyle said, waving to her dad as they left for Beacon Hills High.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the story has started for real. I really like Kyle's character and I absolutely love writing the exchanges between him and Stiles. Don't worry, the next chapter will include some characters that you should all be familiar with!


	4. Chapter Four

**DEREK**

Derek had decided to drop the pack off at school for the first day.

All of them apart from Allison and Lydia had crashed at the new Hale house the night before after Deaton had called them to talk about a ‘disruption in the balance of Beacon Hills’ as he called it.

He gave the new English teacher a smile when she nodded to him as she passed.

He was surprised that she was still staying in Beacon Hills after nearly being killed by Boyd, Erica and Cora two weeks ago. She had only just arrived in town and had already nearly been mauled to death by three feral, teenage werewolves.

Derek tried not to think too much about those first weeks when they had been taken by the Alpha pack which had waltzed into town one day. They were still on Derek’s radar, but he hadn’t heard from them since they had gotten his three betas back.

‘I’ll pick you all up after school,’ Derek told Erica, Boyd, Isaac and Cora as they got out of the SUV.

Scott pulled up on his dirt bike as Allison and Lydia pulled into the car park. They all came over to where Derek was waiting.

‘I want a pack meeting after lacrosse practice,’ he said. ‘We need to set up patrols to see if we can figure out what Deaton thinks is threatening Beacon Hills. It might be the Alpha pack, but they turned up more than a month ago so Deaton doubts its them.’

‘What if we can’t find anything?’ Scott asked.

‘Yeah what if Deaton’s just being his usual cryptic self,’ Isaac chipped in.

‘I guess we’ll just have to see if we do find anything first,’ Derek said. ‘Now all of you need to go to school, I have things to do.’

As he turned to get back in the car he heard a sound that was so familiar it was hard to believe he wasn’t imagining it.

‘That sounds like…’ Scott started, stopping mid-sentence.

Turning around Derek found why.

Stiles’ jeep pulled into the parking lot, the squeak of the engine almost drowned out by the heavy beat of a song playing on the inside.

Derek’s heart leapt into his mouth as the jeep stopped. Two people jumped out. One was a boy that he didn’t recognise, tall, with a mess of blonde hair that made him look like he had stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch advert.

The other person Derek would recognise anywhere.

At first glance Stiles looked the same, all long limbs and bubbling energy, but as Derek watched he started realising small changes. She seemed more in control of her actions, a controlled grace taking over as she rounded the jeep and the boy swung his arm around her shoulders.

Derek frowned as he looked closer at her arms where the sheer fabric of her shirt barely covered the dark tattoos coating her skin

From a distance she looked well, a smile bursting on her face and evolving into a laugh as the boy said something in her ear, making her turn to look at them.

It took him a moment to realise that he hadn’t been able to hear what the boy said, or Stiles’ laugh, almost as if they were behind an invisible barrier. He frowned, and Stiles’ smile got wider.

‘When did she get back?’ Allison asked, clearly as shocked as everyone else as Stiles’ sudden return.

‘Last Wednesday,’ Lydia said, fixing her skirt and flicking her hair back. ‘Now if you don’t mind I’m going to get to form before I get a detention for being late on the first day.’

With that she turned on her heel and strutted across the car park, Allison beside her.

Erica and Boyd gave him sheepish looks before following.

‘Lydia knew that Stiles was back?’ Scott asked, clearly feeling some kind of betrayal at not knowing himself.

‘I’ll be finding out why after school,’ Derek gritted between his teeth. He looked at Scott. ‘Keep an eye on Stiles, see what you can learn about where she’s been or what she’s been doing.’

‘You want me to spy on my best friend?’ Scott asked.

‘No, I want you to be observant of your friend that you haven’t seen for a year,’ Derek said. ‘Especially one who turns up at a time when Deaton senses something changing.’

Scott grimaced at the thought that Stiles could be the cause of Deaton’s worries.

‘We’ll keep an eye on her,’ Isaac said, grabbing Scott’s arm and dragging him inside.

Cora stepped in front of him as Derek sighed.

‘So that’s Stiles,’ Cora said. ‘The one that you’re still pining after, despite her leaving you without a word.’

Derek growled low in his throat, making Cora chuckle.

‘Whatever Derek, pine after her if you want,’ Cora said as the final bell rang and Cora headed for the school doors. ‘But from what I saw she’s moved on. I wouldn’t wait around for her if I were you.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we'll get to Derek and Stiles meeting again eventually, but I have to give Stiles a chance to get back to normal life in Beacon Hills right?


	5. Chapter Five

**STILES**

Stiles had been right about the first day back at school. It was awful.

Stiles had spent the day with Kyle, dodging the pack. She hadn’t missed then trying to corner her after class. All of them except Erica and Boyd had made an attempt, even the brown-haired girl that Lydia had revealed was Derek’s not so dead sister Cora.

Lydia had been the only pack member that Stiles had spoken to all day, and she had given Stiles the update on what Deaton had told them the night before. Stiles had promised to come to the pack meeting that night. If anything, it gave her and Kyle the chance to ask Derek permission to be in his territory without it being just them and Derek.

It turned out though that Stiles and Kyle weren’t the only knew kids in town. There was a transfer from New York, Zeke. He caught Stiles’ eye when she first walked into school and had smiled at her. It was such a simple gesture, but it gave her a hope that she could actually have some time in Beacon Hills without the Hale pack.

It was harder than she thought though and by the time it got to Stiles’ final lesson of the day she was cranky and tired, and abundantly grateful that the only people she shared the period with were Lydia and Zeke.

She sat down next to Lydia in English. It was one of her favourites subjects, when she could actually focus enough to sit and read the books.

As everyone finally sat down every phone in the classroom went off. They all checked their devices and were startled when a tall woman with dark hair walked in, reading the text they had all received out loud.

‘This text contains the last line to first book we will be studying this semester,’ the woman said. ‘And it will also be the last text you receive in this class. Phones off everyone.’

Stiles didn’t switch her phone off, instead turning it to silent and locking it face down on her desk. Having her phone near her at all times was a habit she had picked up since travelling with Kyle.

The teacher wrote her name on the chalkboard. Miss Blake.

Stiles found herself staring at the teacher’s back. There was a dark feeling churning in her gut as she watched Miss Blake’s back, an uneasiness that she couldn’t place or explain.

Chalking it up to her bad mood she reached into her bag for her notebook, her eyes falling on Lydia’s ankle.

‘Lydia what’s that?’ she whispered.

Lydia moved her foot when Stiles’ pointed at it, the marks on her ankle (which she was sure looked like teeth) becoming clearer.

‘Prada bit me this morning,’ Lydia whispered back.

Stiles glanced up at Lydia.

‘Your dog?’

‘No, my designer handbag.’ Stiles’ eyebrows creased and Lydia rolled her eyes in response. ‘Yes, my dog Stiles.’

‘I never knew she could be so viscious.’

‘She isn’t usually no, but she can have bad days.’

‘Yeah she can, except it also comes on a morning when a pack of deer just allowed themselves to be run over by a trucker.’

‘Well what is it that your dad would say about happenings?’ Lydia asked, casually sketching in her notepad. ‘About one, two, three in crime?’

‘He says that one’s an incident, two’s a pattern,’ Stiles’ eyes were drawn to the window, where a dark shadow was moving across the sky towards the classroom window. As it got closer Stiles could pick out the hundreds of birds all flying together, far too low to be going over the building.

Stiles shook Lydia’s shoulder and pointing to the sky outside.

Lydia looked over, her eyes widening as the first bird hit the window, it’s blood splatting across the glass.

Everyone in the room turned towards the windows, murmurs of uneasiness turning into screams as the glass broke, birds flooding the room.

‘Everybody get down,’ Stiles heard Ms Blake shouting through the mass of feathers, talons and caws.

Stiles could feel the cuts on her skin as the birds flew around the room in a trapped frenzy.

It felt like an age before the room finally fell silent.

Stiles stood as a feather landed on the desk in front of her. The room was covered in the bodies of the dead birds, mixing with blood and glass.

Stiles looked over at Lydia, who was trying to fix her messed up hair.

‘Three’s a pattern,’ Stiles said, her voice slightly hoarse.

Lydia nodded, looking around at the carnage.

‘I get the feeling this isn’t normal,’ Zeke said coming over to Stiles.

She laughed, ‘in this town who knows?’

‘It’s normally like this?’ he asked, a smile of his own on his face.

‘Let’s just say that this town isn’t known for being quiet,’ Stiles replied. ‘I’m Stiles.’

‘Zeke,’ he said, taking Stile’s offered hand. ‘It’s nice to meet you.’

‘You too,’ Stiles replied, a genuine smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this may or may not be leading to what you think (depending on what you're thinking). What I will say is that some of the plot of this story does not follow the canon of season 3A at all, because let's face it, there were some things about the show we all wanted to change.


	6. Chapter Six

**STILES**

Kyle looked over to her with concern from where he was behind the wheel of the jeep.

They had been sent home before the final lesson was over because of the bird incident. Stiles had spent the rest of the day sitting with Zeke on the front steps of the school, just chatting with him as she waited for Kyle.

He was nice. Stiles thought she could use some of that in her life, just some nice, normal chatting. She had been surprised though when Zeke had put his number in her phone and called his own to get her number with a promise to ‘call her soon’. Whatever that meant.

She and Kyle had then trained for an hour during lacrosse practice.

When Lydia had texted her to tell her the pack was gathered they had jumped in the jeep and headed for the Hale house.

‘You okay?’ Kyle asked, concern etching his features.

‘Yeah,’ Stiles said, rubbing a hand over her face. ‘I just didn’t sleep very well last night.’

‘I thought the nightmares were getting better,’ he said quietly.

She looked out the window, watching as the first trees of the preserve passed them.

‘They were,’ she said. ‘They are. Some days are better than others.’

She ran her hands across the writing hidden on the inside of her elbow. The first or many tattoos she had gotten over the last year. It was the last two lines she had left for Derek. The declaration of her love, and of her moving on.

Kyle caught the movement out of the corner of his eye as they pulled up to the address Lydia had given them.

Stiles stared at the Hale house. The one she had tried to get Derek to rebuild for years. The old burnt out shell was gone, replaced by a red brick mansion with a green front door.

‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ Kyle asked quietly.

Stiles buttoned her jacket before pulling her hair into a tight ponytail.

‘To be honest,’ she said, pausing before she opened the car door. ‘I’m not sure I could ever be ready for this.’

He simply nodded, understanding in his eyes, before they stepped out of the jeep.

The front door opened, the pack pouring out and onto the porch. Derek came last, walking down the steps to stand at the bottom, arms crossed across his chest.

Stiles plastered the neutral look on her face that she had mastered after many tense confrontations over the past year before going up to where the pack was waiting.

Kyle spoke in a formal tone as he addressed Derek.

‘Alpha Derek Hale. I am Kyle Ruith, a Druid. This is my companion Stiles Stilinski. We humbly request your permission to reside within your territory.’

‘For how long do you wish to reside?’ Derek asked, his question equally formal as he followed the proper etiquette.

‘Undecided at this time Alpha Hale.’

‘You may reside within my territory as long as you desire while I am kept informed,’ Derek said.

‘We appreciate your hospitality,’ Kyle said.

The pack visibly relaxed now that the formalities were over.

Derek turned and went back inside, the pack, Stiles and Kyle following.

 ‘What are you doing here Stiles?’ Derek asked, once the pack had settled, his brows furrowing as his eyes burned into her.

‘Lydia called, I answered,’ Stiles said. ‘It’s not like I want to be here. We’ll help and them I’m gone.’

‘If you don’t want to be here then why answer Lydia’s call?’ Scott demanded from where he was sitting on the couch with Isaac and Alisson. ‘You could have said no.’

Peter watched the exchange with a smirk from where he was leaning against post at the top of the stairs. Boyd and Erica stood by Scott and Allison their eyes downcast. Cora was hanging back by Peter, watching Stiles with interest while Lydia stood by Derek.

‘Lydia said you had a problem, asked me to come back,’ she said, glaring at Scott. ‘This is still my town. If you haven’t forgotten I have people here that I care about. Plus there was more than just Lydia that I came back for, things you don’t know about.’

She felt her magic Spark under her skin and it was only when Kyle touched her hand, gripping it tight that she took a deep breath.

‘Okay I think we all need to take a breath,’ Lydia said, walking into the middle of the mess that Stiles had created just by stepping out of the car. ‘If you want to be angry at anyone be angry at me. I asked Stiles to come. The past few weeks have just proven that we are in way over our heads here and we need help.’

‘And how can Stiles help?’ Derek asked, curiosity clear in his eyes.

‘I know more than you think,’ was all Stiles said, effectively dismissing him.

‘I think you should listen to her,’ a voice said from behind Stiles.

She turned to find Alan Deaton getting out of his car. She didn’t know how she had missed him arriving, but she gave him a smile when he looked at her.

‘It’s good to see you again Stiles,’ he said. ‘Imogen informed me of your progress.’

‘Are you surprised?’ she asked.

He smiled slightly.

‘Impressed, but not surprised,’ Deaton replied as he stepped up to Derek.

He handed over a piece of paper.

‘That’s all the information I have from the tracking the disturbances. It really led nowhere but you might be able to get something out of it if you look yourself.

‘You knew where Stiles was?’ Scott asks his boss in disbelief.

‘Of course,’ Deaton said. ‘I was the one who arranged Stiles’ first destination.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Scott asked. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Stiles asked me not to,’ Deaton said simply. ‘I was to only tell you her whereabouts if you asked me. As none of you did I didn’t say anything.’

‘You still should have told us,’ Derek said, his voice tense. ‘You are supposed to be my family’s emissary.’

‘There are things that even outweigh the importance of an emissary role,’ Deaton said cryptically.

‘I think what the good doc is trying to say Derek is that he doesn’t really care that he’s supposed to be our family’s emissary, he basically does what he wants,’ Peter said, stepping forward. ‘It had always been a trait that Alan Deaton has had.’

‘It’s called maintaining balance,’ Stiles said quietly. ‘Not that any of you seem to care about that. Seeing as I’m here anyway you might as well fill me in on what’s going on.’

‘That’s the thing,’ Lydia said. ‘We don’t really have any idea what’s going on. Deaton told us yesterday that he had felt a shift in the balance of Beacon Hills over the past week or so and that it could signal a threat.’

‘Do you have any idea what could have caused the shift?’ Stiles asked, addressing Deaton.

‘No,’ Deaton said. ‘But something dark has come to Beacon Hills, something that even I could sense.’

‘It might be the same thing that passed over my wards,’ Stiles said to Kyle. ‘I doubt it could be the Alpha pack, they wouldn’t give off that kind of dark energy.’

‘Wards?’ Derek asked, clearly confused.

‘I set up wards around the town before I left,’ Stiles said. ‘Something crossed them about two weeks ago, something darker than I’ve ever felt.’

‘Wait,’ Derek said, interrupting her. ‘You know about the Alpha pack?’

‘Yeah. We were told by some friends of ours that they had come into Beacon Hills a few weeks ago. How do you know them?’

‘We had a run in with them when they first arrived in town. They left a mark on the door and a couple of days later Erica and Boyd went missing.’

‘A jagged triskelion?’ Stiles asked, Derek answering her question with a nod. ‘It’s their calling card. How did you get them back?’

‘That’s a long story,’ Derek said, suddenly cagey. ‘You don’t think the Alpha’s a what triggered your wards?’

Stiles shook her head.

‘The Alpha pack are despicable, but the kind of darkness that crossed over the barrier isn’t that Alpha’s is something worse.’

‘What could be worse?’ Scott asked.

Kyle glanced at Stiles.

‘We’ll tell you everything,’ Stiles said. ‘But I’m afraid it’s not pretty.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation has finally happened! Hope you all enjoyed!


	7. Chapter Seven

**DEREK**

Once Deaton had left, the pack settled into the main living room of the house, all squishing on the sofas around the coffee table.

Derek felt like he could barely breathe as he sat across from Stiles. Her scent had flooded the house as soon as Lydia had opened the door and he had instantly felt his wolf rise to the surface.

She smelt almost the same as the day she had left. Like fresh baked cookies and the woods after a storm, but now there were scents that overlaid that. Exhaustion, the scent of the boy she was with, and something he couldn’t place which smelt like the air did before it rained.

He tried to focus as Stiles began to talk about the Alpha pack. It was hard when the anxiety Stiles was clearly feeling rolled off her in waves, although she hid it well.

She had advised that Allison get her dad on speakerphone so that he could get the information first hand. When he answered Allison explained the situation before leaving the phone on the table in the middle of the room, letting Stiles talk.

‘The first thing you should know about the Alpha pack is that there are five of them.’

‘Five?’ Chris asked. ‘We’ve only managed to track four so far.’

‘I know,’ Stiles said. ‘They are very crafty and very good at what they do. The twins are the lowest rank in the pack, and yes before you ask even Alpha packs have ranks. They’re mostly the information gatherers. They infiltrate packs to investigate them.’

‘And they turn into one mega-werewolf,’ Isaac said. ‘We’ve seen them do it before.’

Stiles nodded, rubbing her hand on the inside of her left elbow, clearly a nervous habit.

‘Kyle and I met the alphas when we were on a job about two months ago. The twins were the first ones we came across when we asked a local alpha for permission to stay in their territory while chasing down a group of ferals. Ethan and Aiden had just recently asked their pack for sanctuary, claiming their pack had tried to kill them. Then the next two came. Kali and Ennis. I assume they’re the other ones you’ve met.’

Derek nodded at Stiles’ questioning gaze.

‘They’re basically the muscle, the power in the pack.’

‘So, who’s the leader?’ Peter asked, coming to stand by Derek.

‘His name is Deucalion,’ Stiles said.

From the way Peter stiffened Derek could tell that he knew the name.

‘You know him,’ Derek said, more of a statement than a question.

Peter nodded.

‘He was another Alpha that was around when your mother was the leader of our pack. He tried to make a truce with Gerard Argent but Argent betrayed him, killed his pack, blinded him and left him for dead. He disappeared after that. Your mother assumed he had died.’

Derek couldn’t help but notice the way that Stiles flinched when Peter mentioned Gerard, the way Kyle put a comforting hand on Stiles’ leg. He also couldn’t ignore the smile she gave him in return before focusing back on Peter.

‘Well Deucalion is now the leader of the Alpha pack. He’s blind, but he’s the most powerful alpha I’ve ever come across. He keeps to the shadows, is crafty and manipulative and always gets what he wants.’

‘And what does he want?’ Derek asked.

The look Stiles gave him made his stomach knot.

‘Let’s just say that wherever Deucalion and his alpha’s go, the pack they go after doesn’t survive.’

She rubbed her hands together.

‘Deucalion is a collector. He looks for rare talents or personalities to add to his pack, even their emissary is a powerful Druid,’ she glanced at Deaton who grimaced. ‘If he’s come here then there’s something here he wants, someone.’

‘And what does he do to get them?’ Scott asked. ‘If he knows who he wants why doesn’t he just take them, why kill the packs as well?’

‘Because an alpha can only become an alpha by inheritance or…’

‘By killing another alpha,’ Derek finished. ‘He picks who he wants and makes them kill their packs and their alphas if they aren’t one already.’

‘Yep,’ Stiles said, popping the ‘p’. ‘Like I said. Any pack who crosses their path ends up dead, because if the person their interested in doesn’t do what Deucalion wants, then they just kill everyone anyway.’

‘Okay so how do we stop them?’ Scott asked.

‘Did you not listen Scott?’ Stiles asked, anger in her voice. ‘You don’t stop them, no one has beat them.’

‘But you said you met a pack they came for.’

‘Yes, Scott we did. We met the alpha and her mate and their thirteen-year-old daughter as well as the other twelve members of her pack. We asked the alpha for permission to enter her territory. By the time we realised that the Alpha pack were there they had already killed ten of them. By the time we arrived to help it was just the alpha left. I watched her die screaming for the pack she had lost, for her mate and her daughter that she had just seen slaughtered by Kali and Ennis. Deucalion can’t be stopped. He’s called the Demon Wolf for a reason, because I wouldn’t be surprised if he had stepped out of hell itself.’

Stiles was standing by the time she had finished shouting at Scott and Derek watched wide eyed as her skin started to Spark purple.

‘Stiles calm down,’ Kyle all but growled at her.

She closed her eyes, her hands shaking as she took a deep breath and the purple glow on her skin disappeared.

Before she could answer the front door of the house swung open and the Sheriff strode in. He stopped when he saw Stiles and Kyle.

‘I wondered if you would be here,’ he said. ‘Good to see you Derek.’

‘What can I do for you John?’ Derek asked, getting to his feet.

‘Derek. John? Wait you two know each other well enough to be on a first name basis?’ Stiles asked.

‘Derek’s been helping me with a case,’ her dad offered as he pulled out some case files from his bag. ‘In fact, he’s been helping me with a lot of cases, since my favourite criminal consultant has been travelling the country.’

‘Fighting crime, saving people, hunting things, the Stilinski family business.’

Kyle snorted and turned to her his eyebrows raised.

‘Did you really just quote Supernatural to your dad?’ he asked.

‘Hey, don’t knock the Winchester brothers,’ her dad cut in. ‘If they were actually real I wouldn’t mind having them on speed dial once in a while.’

Kyle looked at her father like he had just sprouted a second head while she high-fived the sheriff.

‘I knew I would get you to watch it someday,’ she said in triumph. ‘So, what’s the case?’

‘Murder,’ her dad said, laying the case folders in front of her. ‘All three bodies have been killed in the same way. And what did I teach you? One’s a crime, two’s a coincidence,’

‘Three’s a pattern,’ Stiles finished nodding.

‘I asked Derek to help when the second body turned up.’

‘Is it supernatural?’ Stiles asked.

‘I don’t think so,’ her father replied. ‘There’s no claw marks and Derek couldn’t find any weird scents around the bodies.’

‘So, if it’s not supernatural,’ Stiles said, turning to Derek, ‘then why are you helping?’

‘Because unlike you,’ Derek replied, picking up the last folder the Sheriff put down, ‘I’m actually qualified.’

‘What kind of qualified?’ She asked, sceptical.

‘Masters in criminology,’ Derek said, flipping through the folder.

Stiles flailed.

‘You have a degree?’ She asked. ‘Wait. A Masters? You have two degrees?! What’s the other one?’

Derek looked up at her. His eyebrows low.

‘Criminal psychology?’

‘Seriously?’ Stiles asked, the excitement clear in her voice. ‘So, you’re like the real life Criminal Minds!’

‘Stiles. Breathe,’ Kyle said, tapping her on the arm.

‘Sorry, I just never thought that Derek Hale of all people would go to university. Now I find out you have two degrees and kind of a proper job, even if it’s with my dad.’

She didn’t miss the smirk Derek gave her as she picked up the first folder.

‘So, what connects them all?’ she asked, pulling out papers from the folder and spreading them out on the breakfast bar.

She looked through a few, pulling together some of the papers that could link the three victims.

‘Other than how they died, nothing we can see,’ her dad said. ‘They were all found out on the preserve. All of them were tied to trees by a cord around their throats. The official cause of death is asphyxiation, but they also had their throats slashed and their heads bashed in. Other than that, we can’t connect them, but if it’s a serial killer they might not have any connection that makes apparent sense.’

Stiles sat frozen as her dad placed the photos of the three victims in front of her. Two females, one male.

‘Stiles are you okay?’ Derek asked, shooting her a worried look.

She flinched before glancing at Kyle who was wearing the same haunted expression she was.

‘It’s not a serial killer,’ Stiles said, standing up quickly. ‘Well it is, but it’s not. Give me a sec.’

She grabbed her bag, pulling out her laptop and firing it up she found her folder marked ‘sacrifices?’ and opened the photos in the folder.

Placing the laptop on the table she turned it towards the pack. She watched their faces as they went from interested to shocked.

‘Where did you get these?’ her father asked, scrolling through the photos.

‘From a hunt,’ she said. ‘Or rather hunts. The first three we got from a group of hunters in the next state. They were tracking a Druid who was using dark magic while heading for the Californian border. They lost the Druid when they crossed over into this state so they called Imogen for help. Imogen put them in touch with Kyle and me. We tracked the Druid’s magic across California for nearly a month before they disappeared two weeks ago. Whoever it is dropped three bodies while the hunters were following them, and three more when we were on their trail.’

‘You said you lost the Druid two weeks ago?’ Derek asked.

‘Yeah, they managed to cover their tracks when they got about fifty miles away from Beacon Hills. I didn’t realise that this would be where they were headed.’

‘What do you know about the killings?’ Derek asked.

‘They’re not just killings,’ Kyle said. ‘They’re sacrifices.’

‘Sacrifices?’ her dad said, taking a deep breath. ‘Like real life human sacrifices.’

Stiles nodded.

‘I’m afraid so. The deaths are what is known in Celtic folklore as the threefold death. Asphyxiation, head bashed in, throat slashed. It’s a ritual to take someone’s power, their life force.’

‘So, what connects them?’ Lydia asked.

Stiles took a pen from her bag and began drawing a fivefold knot on the back of one of the folders.

‘Follow the pattern of three,’ Stiles said, as she pulled back her laptop and began to put the photos together in the two groups of three.

‘Celtic rituals always come in threes. When it comes to sacrifices there are five categories. Virgins, Warriors, Healers, Philosophers and Guardians.’

She wrote each of the categories on a point of the knot, putting guardians right at the centre.

‘The first three bodies were warriors,’ she said, writing their names at that point. ‘All were retired veterans from the army. The next three that she killed while Kyle and I were tracking her were teachers from three different schools.’

‘What category are teachers?’ her father asked.

‘Philosophers,’ she said, writing them on that knot. ‘That’s what they were known back when these rituals began. People like Aristotle were called philosophers, but they were actually teachers.’

‘What about the three bodies we’ve found here?’ the Sheriff asked. ‘What connects them?’

Stiles pulled the pictures of the victims towards her. One of the girl’s looked weirdly familiar.

‘Who is she dad?’ she asked pointing to the picture. ‘I recognise her.’

Her dad pulled out the victim’s personal details.

‘Heather Evans, student at…’

‘Beacon Hills High School,’ Stiles said sadly. ‘I remember her, she was in my year. She was friends with Erica for a while I think.’

Stiles looked away from Heather’s head shot and back to the other two victims. She picked up the crime scene photo of the male victim. He had been found in his lifeguard seat at the town pool.

Something in the photo caught her eye.

‘Is there anything about the last victim?’ she asked. ‘Where she was when she went missing?’

‘Yes,’ her father said, handing a report to Stiles. ‘Her name was Emily. She was out in the woods, camping with her girlfriend. Her girlfriend said that she freaked out and ran from something. She tried to find Emily but couldn’t. By the time we got to her she was already dead.’

‘Why were they out in the woods?’

‘According to Emily’s girlfriend Emily had wanted to make it a special night. It was their two-year anniversary and it was going to be Emily’s first time.’

‘Her first time,’ Stiles whispered looking at Kyle.

‘Virgins?’ he said.

‘I’m almost certain.’

‘How do you know?’ Derek asked.

‘Look at the photo of the lifeguard,’ Stiles said, shoving the photo over to him. ‘Do you notice anything?’ After a few moments Derek shook his head. ‘He has a purity ring on,’ Stiles said. ‘It’s something that people wear when they’re saving themselves for marriage. We know that Emily was out in the woods with her girlfriend for her first time.’

‘And what about Heather?’ Derek asked.

‘She’s was going to be having her eighteenth birthday party next weekend,’ Allison said. ‘She kept on propositioning Scott at the end of last year to help her lose her virginity.’

‘So, if it’s virgins,’ Kyle said, taking the pen and writing the three names down on the table. ‘Then the only categories left are Healers and Guardians.’

‘Healers would most likely be taken from the hospital,’ Kyle said. ‘They may be a dark Druid, but they’re not obscure. They takes obvious people if you can find the pattern.’

‘What about Guardians?’ the Sheriff asked. ‘Who are they?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Stiles said. ‘Maybe the police force? The Guardians of the towns?’

‘Well we can’t protect every police officer, not when they’re supposed to be protecting the town.’

‘I know that,’ Stiles said.

‘And you’re sure that this dark Druid is what’s killing people?’ Scott asked.

‘Yeah,’ Stiles said. ‘Without a doubt. We lost the druid about fifty miles outside of Beacon Hills. The first killing was the night after something dark passed over my wards. Deaton said that he noticed something dark upsetting the balance last night, when the last body in the three turned up. It would cause a surge in dark power in the area.’

‘So how do we find them?’

‘I don’t know,’ Stiles said. ‘I’ll have to do some investigating of my own, but every time they’ve stopped in one place they finds a way to hide themselves. We know that they’ve been heading towards this area so there might be something here that they wants or can use other than the people they’re killing.’

‘And what if they complete the categories?’ Derek asked. ‘What happens then?’

Stiles grimaced.

‘Then the Alpha Pack might be the least of your worries. For now act like nothing has changed. No doubt the Alpha pack will be watching you.’

‘What about you?’ Derek asked as Stiles headed for the door.

She turned, smirking at him as Kyle threw her the jeep keys.

‘I’ve survived without you for more than a year Derek,’ she said, making his chest tighten. ‘I don’t need you to protect me.’

With that she left.

Scott stood up.

‘Well Isaac and I have to be home for dinner so we need to get going.’

Derek nodded.

‘Keep an eye out in town for any of the Alpha’s. If you see them you contact me.’

The pack all nodded in agreement before filtering out.

‘Well I need to get to work,’ said the Sheriff.

He patted him on the shoulder as he headed for the door.

 ‘She’s not the same,’ she Sheriff said quietly.

‘No, she’s not,’ said Derek. ‘And I’m starting to think I made a huge mistake in letting her go.’

‘I would be inclined to agree with you,’ said the Sheriff, ‘but I also think she needed it. I think you all needed it. But I will say this. If you let her, she’ll walk away again. If you want her to stay you need to give her a reason to.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sass is back. I love writing Stiles, the actual character on Teen Wolf is so sassy and I love injecting some of that into this Stiles.


	8. Chapter Eight

**STILES**

The next day at school the Alpha twins turned up.

She recognised Ethan and Aiden immediately when they walked through the door, matching leather jackets on.

Kyle pulled her into a classroom before they could spot her and less than five minutes later the pack all piled into the room as well.

‘Why are the twins at school?’ Isaac asked, his eyes wide.

‘I told you they would be watching you,’ replied Stiles. ‘Most of the pack are here at school so it’s the most logical place for at least some of the Alpha pack to be. The twins are the only ones close to our age.’

‘What about Derek and Peter?’ Cora asked. ‘Will they be watched too?’

‘Most likely Ennis and Kali will be following them because Derek’s the Alpha.’

‘We need to warn him,’ Erica said. ‘He needs to know that the Alpha twins are in school.’

‘Already done,’ Lydia replied.

‘And that’s what keeps a good pack alive,’ Stiles said. ‘Telling Derek should have been the first thing you did. Now if you don’t mind I’m going to go to class. My life isn’t going to stop just because a pair of Alpha twins might recognise me.’

She walked past the pack, heading off for her first lesson, Coach’s.

The halls were emptying when she finally made it to the classroom. She took a seat at the back, away from everyone else.

She felt her skin prickle and looked up to find the twins taking seats on either side of her.

‘Didn’t expect to see you here Spark,’ Ethan said quietly.

‘Finally decided to come back to your pack then?’ Aiden asked. ‘Maybe this time you’ll do as Deucalion asked, or he might be forced to take severe measure again.

Stiles glared at Aiden, clicking her pen.

‘As I told Deucalion last time,’ she gritted out. ‘I have no pack. You stay away from Hale and his.’

‘Or what?’ Aiden laughed.

‘Or Deucalion might find out what I’ve learnt since I last met him,’ Stiles hissed.

The twins both looked up as the pack strode into the classroom, taking the seats in front of Stiles.

Scott gave the twins a hard glare while the others turned to face the front.

‘Deucalion wouldn’t call that not having a pack,’ Ethan said quietly, knowing full well the others would hear.

Stiles ignored them as Coach started rambling.

***

Stiles watched after school when the Aiden and Ethan got on their bikes and drove away. They had waited until the pack had gotten in their cars and gone on their way, clearly wanting to know as much information about them as possible.

Kyle met Stiles at her jeep.

‘So, what are we doing tonight?’ Kyle asked.

‘I’m going to drop you home first,’ Stiles said. ‘Then I’m going to see my mom.’

Kyle nodded slowly.

‘As long as you keep in touch,’ Kyle said. ‘There’s so much stuff going on here, I would prefer if you didn’t go alone, but I’m guessing I can’t make you take me.’

Stiles smiled sadly.

‘Not this time,’ she whispered.

She left Kyle at home, driving off after promising she would keep in touch with him.

At the edge of the preserve, between the town and the Hale land, was a small graveyard. Stiles knew it like the back of her hand and she made her way through the trees to her mother’s grave.

The sun shone brightly on her mother’s name.

Stiles sat down in front of it, sighing.

‘Hi mom,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m sorry I missed our anniversary. I was away.’

She brushed away some of the leaves from around her mother’s gravestone, absentmindedly picking one up and fiddling with it.

‘So a lot has happened since we last spoke,’ Stiles said, her voice carrying to him in the still air. ‘Turns out I’m kind of magic. See watch this.’

She held out her hand over the pile of leaves that she had moved to her side. One by one they lifted into the air. She twirled her fingers, making the leaves swirl in a very Pocahontas Colours of the Wind kind of way. With a little more concentration, she let Sparks of purple and pink fly from her hands, dancing around the leaf display. The sight was beautiful in the sunlight and it brought a small smile to her face.

‘So, I’m something called a Spark,’ she went on, letting the leaves drift to the graveyard floor. ‘Deaton told me I was way back when we were trying to fight the kanima. He didn’t think anything of it, even after I managed to finish the mountain ash circle. He told me that a Spark is someone who had innate magic in them, and that unlike Druids they can access and use this magic just by believing. Deaton agreed to train me as much as he could, but it was basically just simple protection spells with things like mountain ash, nothing major.’

Stiles bounced the sparks of her magic between her fingers.

‘Then the summer happened,’ she said. ‘Or rather the beginning of the summer happened. I told you last time what happened with Gerard and the pack when I said goodbye before I left. Derek still doesn’t know, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever tell him. Anyway, when he kicked me out of the pack at the start of the summer I went to Deaton’s, and blew out all of his windows.’

Stiles laughed, a humourless laugh.

‘I think Deaton realised then that I was more than just a Spark, but he didn’t tell me of course. He just said I had more magic than he first thought, and that he could teach me some things, but that I needed another Spark to teach me more. So that’s where I went when I left. There’s a woman up North, a Spark as well, called Imogen.’

Stiles closed her eyes, letting her mind wander to all the good memories she had from the last year.

‘Imogen runs a kind of summer camp for magic users. There’s a lot of kids who come from magic families during their holidays to learn how to use their abilities, and also how to hide them. The camp was just finishing when I arrived so I spent a week just making friends with the people who stay with Imogen most of the time. It was amazing mom, they’re like a pack of magic users. I don’t think I’ve ever felt I’ve belonged as much as I did when I was there. We spent the next nine months just learning. Imogen taught me a lot of the time. She was amazed at first by just how much raw power I had, but then she told me why I had it, what it meant.’

She took a shaky breath, a soft breeze rustling her hair, as if the wind itself wanted to calm her.

‘According to Imogen I am what is called a True Spark,’ Stiles said, wiping a tear from her cheek with an angry swipe. ‘I don’t know whether Deaton didn’t know, or whether he knew and just didn’t tell me after her found out I was leaving. What Imogen told me is that a true Spark is just like a normal Spark, magic works the same way. The difference is that True Sparks tend to have more power than normal Sparks. According to Imogen’s research, True Sparks often become emissaries for the pack that they fall in with because their magic creates automatic bonds to the pack. When Imogen searched to see if I have any bonds she found out that, according to my magic, I already had a pack and an alpha. This pack.’

Stiles let out a frustrated groan.

‘Imogen told me that once the bond is established it is supposed to be cemented by a ceremony to make the True Spark the alpha’s official emissary. Until then it’s just me, on my own, with my powers and the horrifying nightmares and the overwhelming feeling that I always need to protect everyone. Which is another side effect that Imogen told me about. She said my magic will push me with the overwhelming need to protect the pack, that it’s my Spark pushing me to complete the bond. Let me tell you, those feelings are really hard to ignore.’

She laughed, rubbing her hands over her face.

‘Of course, on top of this the Alpha pack is in town. I’ve never told you about them but they are some of the scariest people I have ever met, and I’ve met some scary people over the past year let me tell you. Oh, and there’s a dark Druid running around town killing people. I swear it never stops.’

She paused, tracing a triskelion in the dirt in front of her, Derek’s symbol, the symbol of the Hale pack.

‘I don’t know what to do mom. I wish you were here to give me your calm advice that you always did when I was a kid. You would know how to fix it, how to fix everything.’

Before she could say anything else her phone buzzed in her pocket. Stiles felt frustration in her chest before she saw the caller and answered it.  

‘I’m headed home now Kyle I promise. I’ll be there in ten minutes tops.’

‘Good, because Derek just called the house phone to ask if we wanted to train with him and the pack tonight.’

Blood roared in Stiles’ ears.

‘I’ll think about it on my way home. I’m on my way now,’ Stiles said before hanging up.

She stood, giving her fingers a kiss before touching them to her mother’s grave.

‘I’ll come and see you again soon mom,’ she whispered. ‘I promise.’

With another glance at the grave she headed back to the jeep and drove home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big information reveals in this chapter. You'll just have to wait and see what they mean for Stiles and the pack.
> 
> The Alphas are also now in the building people. At least Ethan and Aiden are. You will see more of the Alpha Pack as the story progresses. Also, I've followed the canon with Claudia Stilinski, as in she died when Stiles was young.


	9. Chapter Nine

**DEREK**

Derek was surprised when Kyle called back saying Stiles had agreed to train with them.

If he was honest with himself he had expected her to tell him where to shove his offer.

By the time Stiles arrived the pack had already been training for half an hour. They all perked up when they heard the sound of the jeep coming down the road.

‘What’s Stiles doing here?’ Cora asked, looking at Derek.

‘I asked her to come and train with us. If she’s going to help us with the Alphas she should at least know how we work as a pack.’

‘This has nothing to do with making her pack?’ Peter asked, a grin on his face.

Derek just glared at him as the jeep came to a stop and Stiles and Kyle stepped out.

He heard Scott suck in a breath as he looked at her.

She was in a tight pair of black jeans and combat boots with a bright red hoodie. It was unzipped, showing the sports bra underneath, that revealed her stomach, which was covered in tattoos and thin lines that looked like scars. Sheathed at her side was a small dagger and even from far away Derek could smell the wolfsbane it has been soaked in.

‘You brought a weapon to training?’ Isaac asked.

Stiles shrugged.

‘Doesn’t hurts to be prepared. So, what are we doing?’

Derek shook himself into focus again.

‘We’re just on pair work at the moment. We’ll be moving onto group attacks and defences soon if you want to join in.’

‘Sure,’ Stiles said smiling. ‘Kyle and I will just warm up and have a few practice runs.’

‘You really think you could face up to us in a real fight?’ Cora asked, a sneer on her face. ‘A human like you wouldn’t last a minute against a real wolf, so I don’t know why my brother thinks you can help us against a pack of Alphas.’

‘Cora,’ Derek growled a warning.

Stiles took a step forward.

‘No it’s fine Derek,’ she said, a dangerous smile on her face. ‘If Cora’s saying it then others are thinking it. Why don’t we test out her theory?’

Stiles took of her hoodie and unbuckled her dagger, throwing them at Kyle. He shook his head as he walked over to Derek.

‘You’re not fighting with her?’ Derek asked, not caring that the concern was clear in his voice.  

Kyle laughed, ‘absolutely not. Stiles has got a bone to pick. It’s best not to get in her way.’

‘Who am I up against?’ Stiles asked Cora.

Cora grinned.

‘Why don’t we go two against one?’ Cora asked. ‘Let’s see if you can beat Erica and I seeing as you’re so full of self-belief.’

‘Seems fair,’ Stiles said. She looked at Erica as she joined Cora in front of the porch. ‘Don’t hold back. I wouldn’t want it to be an unfair fight for you.’

‘She’s going to get herself killed,’ Derek hissed, crossing his arms.

Kyle just laughed as Stiles dropped into a defensive position. She rolled her shoulders as if it was second nature to her. The air crackled with energy, putting the hairs on Derek’s arms on end.

‘Come on then,’ Stiles taunted.

He watched with a grimace as Cora flashed her eyes and charged. She was fast, faster than most wolves.

But, when Cora was close enough to swipe at Stiles with her claws Stiles side-stepped, just moving out of the way fast enough. Cora went flying past her and Stiles kicked her in the back, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Erica roared, seeing her pack mate in danger making her wolf rise to the surface.

Stiles smiled.

From where he was standing it was as if she was only focusing on Erica and ignoring Cora who was getting to her feet behind Stiles, but looking more closely Derek could see Stiles eyes flicking as she observed the whole of the area around her every few seconds.

Whatever kind of training she had it was good, thorough.

 Cora and Erica charged. Stiles was caught between two wolves, both angry and half shifted.

Derek took a step forward as Erica swiped her claws towards Stiles’ face but Stiles met Erica blow for blow as if she wasn’t fighting against someone with werewolf strength.

Derek watched in fascination as some of the tattoos on Stiles’ arms and torso began to glow with a soft purple light, Stiles’ eyes alight with the same colour. She threw her flat palm towards Erica’s chest and an invisible force sent Erica flying.

Cora charged again. This time barely making it three steps before Stiles threw a blast of magic her way, knocking her against one of the trees behind her hard enough to hear a crack.

The rest of the pack began growling.

‘Anyone else want to have a go?’ Stiles asked her eyes shining as bright as her smile.

Derek watched as Boyd and Isaac ran for her together, trying a coordinated attack.

Stiles split them apart with a blast from her hand.

She kicked spun, kicking Isaac in the face while sending another blast towards Boyd that threw him against the porch steps at Derek’s feet.

‘She’s a lot more than she looks,’ Boyd groaned as he got to his feet while Scott tried to help Isaac.

Ultimately the two of them ended up in the ground again, shouting truce.

Kyle was laughing as Stiles took a step forward.

‘What about you Alpha Hale?’ she taunted. ‘Think you can take me on?’

Derek growled low in his throat as he pulled his jacket off.

‘I wouldn’t if I were you,’ Peter said behind him as he stalked towards Stiles.

Derek threw the first blow and watched as it glanced off a barrier that Stiles threw up in front of her face.

He growled in frustration, throwing a few other shots to try and break through but Stiles met every single one of them.

Taking desperate measures he charged at her, using his whole body weight to knock them to the ground. They rolled across the grass and somehow Stiles managed to push away, leaving Derek to scrabble to his feet as she threw blast after blast of magic at him.

The balls of magic felt like being hit with a freight train when they connected. 

He had been so focused on dodging them that he hadn’t noticed Stiles coming right up to him. He felt her fist connect with his face and pain shot through his head at the magically charged punch.

She managed to get hit after hit in before Derek grabbed her arms and pulled her to the ground. She was breathing hard when he stopped to look at her.

He only caught her grin when she kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. He landed with a groan before a heavy weight crushed his chest.

Stiles was standing over him, a layer of magic pressing him into the ground, keeping him pinned.

‘You’re slow and you hesitate,’ She gritted out. ‘In a real fight with the Alphas that’ll get you killed.’

She released the barrier, allowing Derek to get to his feet as she turned to Kyle. He threw her hoodie at her and she caught it, pulling it on as her tattoos faded.

‘Come on,’ she said to him. ‘I think we’re done here.’

His pack came to stand with him as Stiles hopped back into her jeep and drove away.

‘We really don’t know her at all do we?’ Scott asked, his face crestfallen.

Derek didn’t give an answer as he stalked off towards the preserve to blow off some steam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tension! It's the best thing...


	10. Chapter Ten

**DEREK**

Derek ran for hours, the sun finally dipping behind the horizon.

He had meant to go home, instead he found himself standing outside the Sheriff’s house underneath Stiles’ window.

He climbed the tree at the side of the window, looking into Stiles’ bedroom.

She was perched on her desk chair, frantically typing on her laptop as Kyle flicked through a book from where he was lying on her bed.

‘I knew it was a bad idea going there,’ Stiles muttered as she clicked on another webpage. ‘I should never have agreed to it.’

Kyle chuckled.

‘You can’t hide from them forever,’ Kyle said. ‘The Alpha’s already know you have a connection to the Hale pack. Showing them something of what they could be up against is good for them.’

‘Did you see the way they looked at me Kyle,’ she said quietly. ‘It was as if they didn’t even recognise me.’

The sadness is Stiles’ voice broke his heart.

‘They haven’t seen you in a year Stiles,’ Kyle said. ‘You need to remember that you’re going to be different from how they remember you. You’ve changed even since I first met you. I mean the first time you walked through Imogen’s door and she asked about the pack you nearly levelled the forest, then you passed out in front of us and had a burn out. I’d say you’ve changed a lot since then.’

Stiles burst out laughing.

‘Do you remember Imogen’s face when I came to?’ she said. ‘I genuinely think she thought I was going to make the house go up in flames.’

‘I know,’ Kyle replied, a smile on his own face. ‘But just keep on remembering that first time you met us Stiles. You came to us as someone who barely had any idea the power she held, after being tortured and escaping no less. You’ve gone up against werewolves and fairies and all kinds of other things. You’ve survived it all. It’s not you who needs to change to fit the pack. They need to realise that the Stiles they knew died that day in Gerard’s basement.’

Stiles sighed, ‘I know. Sometimes I just wish everything could go back to how it was. But if it did I would be invisible again, helpless again.’

Kyle stood up and walked over to Stiles, swinging his arms around her shoulders he pulled her into a hug.

‘You were never helpless Stiles,’ he said in her ear.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and she picked it up, putting it to her ear.

‘Hey Zeke,’ she said into the phone. ‘How are you?’

Kyle gave her a thumbs up when she glanced at him. Derek could smell the nervousness rolling off of her as someone on the other end rambled on.

‘I would love to,’ she said as a smile broke out on her face. ‘Sure. I’ll text you my address.’

There was more chatter.

‘Okay. I’ll see you soon.’

She hung up and then laughed, her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

‘I think I just got asked on a date,’ she said. ‘Zeke wants to go for a movie and a coffee.’

She shot off a text to whoever Zeke was as Kyle clapped his hands.

‘I knew going to school would be a good idea,’ he said. ‘Zeke’s cute.’

‘And way to normal for me,’ Stiles moaned. ‘How am I supposed to date someone when my life is such a supernatural mess.’

‘Don’t get ahead of yourself Smidge,’ Kyle said. ‘It’s just a coffee and a film. It’s not instant married bliss. Even if it just gives you some time to unwind I would call it a win.’

‘I suppose,’ Stiles said.

A car pulled up outside Stiles’ house and someone beeped the horn. Derek climbed down the tree and pressed himself against the wall of the house to glance at the car now stopped outside the Stilinski household.

It was a classic mustang, and Derek had to admit that the kid, Zeke, had taste.

Zeke stepped out of the car and leant against the driver’s door. He was tall, with a mess of brown hair. His aftershave wafted on the wind towards Derek making his nose wrinkle, the smell so overpowering it masked whatever the boy’s natural scent was.

He heard Stiles trip down the stairs as she said goodbye to Kyle and her clumsiness made a smile start to creep onto Derek’s face. It disappeared when Stiles shut the door, running down the path to Zeke’s car.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ she said, making Zeke laugh.

‘Ready to go?’ he asked, holding the passenger door open for her.

‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ she said, sliding into the seat.

Zeke closed the door, and got into the driver’s seat. When he pulled away from the curb he stepped on the gas and Derek just caught a flash of Stiles’ laughing as the car sped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Derek is a bit of a stalkerwolf. Also, things might be moving along with Zeke...


	11. Chapter Eleven

**STILES**

Zeke smiled at Stiles as he drove up to the front door of her house.

The Sheriff’s cruiser was sitting in the driveway, and the light was on in the kitchen meaning he was probably still awake.

‘Well, there you are,’ Zeke said as he put the car in park. His eyes fell on the cruiser. ‘Your dad’s the Sheriff?’

‘I had a really great time,’ Stiles said, a smile breaking out on her face. ‘And yes my dad’s the Sheriff, but don’t worry he only shoots criminals, or boyfriends.’

‘You sound surprised that you had a good time,’ laughed Zeke.

‘I suppose I am,’ Stiles said. ‘To be honest I had a pretty rough year the last couple of years. I took a year out, did a bit of travelling. When I came back all these bad memories resurfaced and I haven’t really breathed in the past few weeks.’

‘I know what you mean,’ Zeke said. ‘Sometimes our past catches up with us. I find the best thing to do is to get rid of the things that remind me. It’s why I transferred here, because I’m trying to do that.’

‘Well I’m glad you did.’

The front door opened and Kyle stepped onto the porch.

‘Are you coming in or are you going to have a full make-out session in the mustang?’ Kyle called.

Stiles groaned.

‘Sorry about Kyle,’ Stiles said, loudly so Kyle could hear her. ‘Kyle’s like a brother, but he can be a pain in my butt sometimes.’

‘Well Smidge I try,’ Kyle called back, going back inside but leaving the front door open.

‘I should go,’ Stiles said, unbuckling her belt. ‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at school?’

‘Yep, see you tomorrow,’ Zeke replied.

Stiles got out of the car and waved to Zeke as he pulled away.

‘So, how was it?’ Kyle asked, his voice in her ear making Stiles jump.

‘It was good,’ Stiles said, deflecting.

‘Good like I had fun and he could be a great friend, or good like I really like this boy and want to kiss him but that would make me feel like I’m betraying the pack that betrayed me?’

‘The first one,’ Stiles deadpanned. ‘I told you. I don’t think I can do a proper relationship at the moment.’

‘So, you’re saying it could become a proper relationship?’ Kyle asked as she walked through to the kitchen.

‘What could become a proper relationship?’ her dad asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

‘Nothing dad,’ Stiles said at the same time that Kyle smiled and said, ‘Stiles might have found herself a boyfriend.’

‘I have not,’ she said, giving Kyle a shove.

‘It is whatever you make it Stiles,’ her dad said, going to sit at the kitchen table. ‘But I would suggest not dragging someone else into this supernatural mess we’ve got going on.’

‘I know dad,’ she replied, following with her own cup of coffee. ‘Zeke is just a friend.’ Her dad gave her a look that she didn’t quite understand. ‘What you working on?’ she asked, changing the subject.

‘There was another body found this morning,’ her dad sighed. ‘Same MO as the other three victims.’

‘Who were they?’ Stiles asked.

‘A nurse from the hospital. By the looks of it her car broke down at the edge of the preserve on her way home from her shift and she never made it home.’

‘Has anyone else from the hospital gone missing?’ Kyle asked.

The Sheriff shook his head.

‘Not as yet. The hospital did a staff check this morning when the body was found and all the other staff were accounted for. All we can do now is wait for the forensic reports and see if anything else happens.’

‘And on that note, I’m going to bed,’ Stiles said. ‘I have Harris tomorrow and English and after the week we’ve had already I kind of hope it’s just a normal day.’

‘Is it ever a normal day in Beacon Hills?’ Kyle joked.

Stiles waved her hand at his coffee mug, lifting some of the liquid inside and splashing it in his face.

‘You shouldn’t say things like that,’ she laughed as she walked up the stairs. ‘You never know the trouble it might get you into.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much everyone for your support of this story so far! Another chapter coming tomorrow I hope


	12. Chapter Twelve

**STILES**

‘So, there was another sacrifice last night.’

Lydia slid into the seat across from Stiles at lunch. Stiles sighed, rubbing her eyes. She had barely slept the night before, the nightmares haunting every moment she closed her eyes.

‘You really think it’s a good idea to be talking about murders in the school cafeteria,’ Stiles hissed looking around.

‘Relax, everyone knows there’s been four murders in town,’ Lydia said, taking a bit of her apple.

‘But not everyone knows their sacrifices,’ Kyle said as he dropped down next to Stiles at the table.

The pack slowly filtered into the cafeteria and came to sit at Stiles’ table.

‘Has this suddenly become the pack table or something?’ she asked, gesturing to the area around herself. ‘Because if it has I’m thinking I might need to commandeer another one.’

‘We just heard Lydia saying that there had been another sacrifice,’ said Erica. ‘Who was it?’

‘A nurse at the hospital,’ Stiles said. ‘Her car broke down on her way home and she never made it. They found her in the preserve yesterday morning.’

‘So it’s healers the dark Druid’s going after next?’ Lydia asked. ‘What about Scott’s mom?’

Stiles looked at Scott.

‘If I were you I would warn her, but I’ve been looking into dark Druids and their sacrifices and I don’t know how the Druid is taking people, so I have no idea how we could stop it if she chose your mom.’

‘Maybe we should talk to Deaton,’ said Scott. ‘See if he knows anything.’

‘That might be a good idea,’ agreed Stiles. ‘He’s likely to have more knowledge than Kyle or me. It’s just whether he’ll give it to you or not.’

‘You guys go talk to Deaton if you want,’ she said. ‘But right now, I’m going to grab my books for class.’

She got up and headed for the door to the cafeteria. A tap on her shoulder made her jump. She laughed as she turned to find Zeke behind her, smiling.

‘You shouldn’t startle me like that,’ she said, mock clutching at her chest.

‘What are you going to do?’ Zeke asked, wiggling his eyebrows. ‘Knock me on my ass?’

‘One day Zeke, you’re going to say something like that and then find out what mocking me really means for your safety.’

‘Ooh a threat,’ he laughed. ‘I’m quaking in my boots.’

She looked down at his feet.

‘I don’t think converse are good quaking material,’ she sassed. ‘If I was you I would be running.’

She gave him a shove and he laughed, taking off at a run down the quiet corridor that held Stiles’ locker.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out, startled when she read the text.

**I need to talk to you. If you’re willing I’ll be alone at the house after school –D**

What on earth could Derek have to talk about?

Zeke came sauntering back over to her as she unlocked her locker and swapped out her books for the afternoon.

‘Who’s Derek?’ he asked, nodding to her phone that she had sat in the bottom of her locker.

She locked the phone, huffing.

‘An old friend,’ she said. ‘I’m still deliberating whether I actually want anything to do with him anymore.’

Zeke’s brow creased in a frown.

‘Did he do something wrong?’ he asked.

Stiles smiled, picking up her phone and reading the text again.

‘He kind of ripped my life out from under me,’ she said.

‘Part of the reason for the year out?’ Zeke asked.

She nodded.

‘You could say that.’

‘So are you going to talk to him?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I find it hard to stay mad at him for long to be honest.’

As she put her phone away as the bell for the next lesson rang. Turning she caught Aiden’s eye across the corridor. She couldn’t focus on Zeke’s ramblings about doing what was best for her as Aiden gave her a smile that made her stomach knot.

***

Derek was surprised to hear the sound of the jeep’s engine rattling up the road towards the house.

He had texted Stiles thinking she would rebuff him, telling him where he could shove his talk.

He could have been blind and still been able to notice that Stiles was trying to have as little contact with him and the pack as possible, and he wanted to change that.

He pulled on a hoodie before opening the front door to find Stiles already standing on the other side, coffee and doughnuts balanced in her hands.

‘I bring sustenance,’ she said, holding them up.

‘Only you would think half a pound of sugar, carbs and coffee was sustenance.’

Stiles mock reeled. ‘You wound me Derek Hale.’

It was good to hear her natural sarcasm coming out again, and he noticed that for the first time the only thing he could really scent on her was nervousness.

‘Well you may not count it sustenance, but if I am going to sit and talk to you I need a truckload of sugar and caffeine.’

He stepped back, allowing Stiles to wander into the house. She walked over to the kitchen half of the main room, dumping the boxes and cups on the surface.

‘So, what did you want to talk about?’ Stiles said.

‘I…’

Derek was cut off as the front door slammed.

‘I’m back. Derek?’

Cora stuck her head round the kitchen door and stopped, a small smile on her face.

‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you were having a thing,’ she said gesturing to them. ‘I’m just gonna go and see if Isaac’s free for a run.’

With that she left, slamming the door behind her again. Derek knew she was making the point that she was gone and internally winced.

‘Your sister seems nice,’ Stiles said.

‘It’s a bit weird to be honest, having her around again,’ he said quietly. ‘I mean the last time I saw her she was a thirteen-year-old girl, and now…’

‘She’s not who you remember,’ Stiles said, nodding. ‘I know that feeling.’

She looked down at the floor. It amazed Derek that she only needed a moment before she shook herself, picked up her coffee and walked through to the living room. Derek grabbed his own coffee followed her as she walked out onto the porch and took a seat on the swing.

‘So you rebuilt the house,’ Stiles said to start the conversation.

‘I thought we should have a proper place to call our own. The loft wasn’t exactly pack friendly.’

‘That’s what I had been saying for years,’ Stiles said, punching his arm.

She paused when she realised what she had done, pulling her arm back and rubbing her hand on the inside of her elbow again.

Through the fabric of her blouse he could see some words tattooed there, but couldn’t make them out.

‘So, what was it you wanted to talk about?’ Stiles asked, leaning back and swinging the chair with a foot on the floor.

‘Everything,’ Derek said. ‘Nothing. I don’t know I just thought that we should talk.’

‘I see you’ve learnt how to string your words into clear sentences since I’ve been gone,’ Stiles mocked.

‘Haha,’ he said, a smile tugging at his lips. ‘I just thought we should talk about what happened after the kanima.’

‘You mean after you kicked me out of the pack.’

‘Yes,’ Derek said, an uneasy feeling in his gut.

‘What do you want to know?’ Stiles asked.

‘I want to know why you left,’ Derek said. ‘Why not just talk to us. I didn’t say you couldn’t still talk to the pack.’

Stiles sighed, leaning forward.

‘I meant what I told you,’ she said. ‘I don’t need you to protect me. I think I realised back then that I did need you, all of you, and I was just too afraid to admit it. When you kicked me out I decided then and there that I was only going to come back if you, or the pack, asked me to. I waited the whole summer for you.’

She looked at him, tears in her eyes.

‘But no one came, and I realised that they never would. So, I left it all behind.’

‘I know I shouldn’t ask you for your forgiveness for pushing you away, but I want to try and earn it.’

‘That’s the thing though Derek,’ Stiles said, glancing up at him. ‘I forgave you a long time ago. I’m not even angry anymore, because I found out very quickly that being angry, holding a grudge, was just exhausting.’

‘Then why did you stay away?’ he pushed. ‘Why not come back?’

Stiles stood, almost shouting, ‘because for some reason that pack seems to think that I need to earn their forgiveness when all I’ve ever done is protect them. I nearly got killed protecting them so many times and they don’t even care. Scott can barely talk to me now without disdain in his voice.’

‘They’re just angry,’ Derek said.

‘At what Derek? What do they have to be angry about?’

‘You left,’ Derek shouted, almost instantly regretting his tone. He sat down again, sighing as he rubbed his temples. ‘Me, Scott, the others. After you came back that night, injured. I thought it would be safer for you if you weren’t as close to use as you were. I told the pack that and they agreed. None of us expected you to leave completely, with no word at all.’

‘You still don’t get it Derek. You have no idea what it was like for me.’

‘Then make me understand,’ he pleaded. ‘Tell me.’

‘No one saw me,’ she said, ‘No one saw what I was going through, no one cared. My best friend of ten years didn’t notice that I was breaking. The only person who took any interest was Lydia, of all people. Then the man I had come to lo… to care about kicked me out of his pack.’

Tears rolled down Stiles’ face and Derek had to stop himself from reaching and wiping them away.

‘You all stabbed me a hundred times over Derek,’ she said quietly, ‘You used to say that no one understood what it was like losing their family like you did, and yet you did exactly that. You ripped my family from me like it was the easiest decision to make. I can’t even count the times I’ve cried in the shower so no one would hear, the amount of times I’ve waited for everyone to fall asleep so no one could see me breaking apart. The things I’ve had to face, the demons I’ve had to bury, they’re coming back to the surface again because now I come back to help a pack who despises me. A pack that acts as if you were the one who was dying this past year. The worst part is that while everyone was helping you, I was trying to stitch _myself_ back together, while slowly bleeding to death. You have no idea what I’ve endured. You didn’t see it.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Derek said, as tears rolled down his own face. His heart broke as he watched the devastation paint itself on Stiles face, the devastation he had caused. ‘Stiles I am so sorry I didn’t see.’ He paused. ‘Do you think you would ever come back? When this is all over, would you stay?’

Stiles sighed.

‘I honestly don’t know Derek. There’s some things I still need to work on. I’m not the same person I was a year ago, and I can’t just fall back into the place I was then. There are things you don’t know, things I need to tell yo…’

Stiles was cut off by Cora and Isaac running into the clearing in front of the house. Derek could feel their anxiety punching through the pack bonds, making his stomach churn.

‘What is it?’ Derek asked as he walked down to them.

‘The Alphas,’ Cora choked out. ‘They were in the preserve, they caught our scent.’

‘Derek they’re coming for us,’ Isaac said. ‘Now.’

A howl sounded from just beyond the treeline, aggressive and dangerous.

‘Call Scott and the others,’ Derek told Isaac, who nodded and pulled out his phone.

He turned to find Stiles already on the phone to Kyle. She hung up after saying her goodbyes.

‘Kyle will be here in fifteen minutes tops. What do we do until then?’

Derek watched as the first pair of red eyes shone from the treeline

‘We fight,’ he growled, claws extending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a cliffhanger guys, but I should have a new chapter tomorrow! (hopefully)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**STILES**

Stiles watched the four Alphas step out from the treeline. Ethan, Aiden, Kali and Ennis all looked the same as they had when she had last seen them.

Derek, Cora, Isaac and Stiles stepped out into the clearing in front of the house, facing off against the four alphas.

Kali smiled in her direction before zoning back in on Derek.

Ennis took a step towards Cora who snarled at the alpha, her claws and fangs extended.

‘Ready for a rematch?’ Ennis snarled.

Cora growled at the alpha, and before Stiles could stop her charged at Ennis.

She didn’t have a chance to see what was happening before Kali stepped up to Derek, her eyes glowing bright red.

‘Nice to finally meet the Hale alpha,’ Kali said. ‘Deucalion wants to talk to you.’

‘Tell him I’ll talk to him when he doesn’t attack my pack unprovoked,’ Derek growled, his fangs now filling his mouth.

‘That wasn’t a request,’ Kali laughed.

Before he could react, she had slammed Derek in the chest, sending him flying across the floor. He picked himself up, dodging a few of her blows and giving some of his own until he finally managed to knock her across the room.

Stiles found herself faced with Ethan and Aiden, both of them smiling at her.

‘Nice to see you again boys,’ she said, dropping into a defensive stance.

‘You weren’t saying that when Kali ripped little Sophia’s larynx out,’ Aiden growled.

The name of the child she had watched die made rage boil in her chest and she threw a bolt of magic towards the alpha, the electricity catching him in the chest and knocking him to the ground.

In that moment she really wished she had her daggers so she could drive one into Aiden’s skull.

‘Don’t you ever speak her name to me.’

Glancing around she found Derek still facing off with Kali, both pretty equally matched. Cora and Isaac were fighting Ennis, but it was clear they were losing.

Her slip of focus cost her as Ethan struck her so that she went flying against the porch, all the air knocked out of her lungs.

She coughed, forcing herself to stand as Ethan pulled Aiden to his feet.

She threw more bolts of magic in their direction, the alpha twins dodging them. If she could just keep them separated she might have a chance.

A stab of white hot pain in her stomach, and a loud howl pulled her attention from the fight. What she saw had her screaming Derek’s name.

Kali had managed to get a hold of some of the piping that had been sitting at the front of the house from the building works. Somehow, she had gotten Derek to his knees, the pole rammed through his abdomen so that he was effectively pinned to the ground. A pool of blood was slowly spreading out underneath him, bright red against the grass.

Cora was being pinned to the ground by Ennis, an unconscious Isaac a few feet behind them.

Her stomach was throbbing, a phantom pain that was too close to where the pole was sticking out of Derek’s own body to be a coincidence.

The twins grabbed a hold of her upper arms, forcing her to her knees on the grass.

She caught Derek’s eyes as he glanced over at her, his gaze full of pain.

‘Are you quite finished Kali?’ a voice said from the porch of the house. ‘Just listening to that was exhausting.’

The voice belonged to a tall man with dark hair. He was old, with dark sunglasses over his eyes.

Stiles didn’t need to see him to know who she was. She would have recognised the voice of the Alpha packs leader anywhere.

Deucalion’s stick tapped against the boards of the porch as he sat on the steps, looking down to where Derek was pinned to the ground.

‘Well I get it goes without saying that our little plan with the bank vault and your didn’t work as we had hoped Derek,’ Deucalion said, folding his stick up and sitting it on his lap. ‘But then we can always adapt.’

Stiles looked over at Derek, who’s eyes were wide as he stared at the blind alpha.

‘Just let them go,’ Derek said, his breath coming out in short gasps as his skin tried to heal around the pole in his stomach.

Deucalion’s eyebrows creased for a moment before realisation crossed his face and he smiled.

‘Your sister of course,’ he said, waving his hand so that Ennis let go of Cora’s neck. Cora shot to her feet from where she had been pinned to the floor, crossing her arms and watching Ennis with calculating eyes. ‘Unfortunately, I can’t do the same for the Spark. She’s much too dangerous to let her go free. Plus, she’s part of the reason we’re here. Well most of the reason actually.’

‘What do you want with me then?’ Derek asked, fighting for breath.

‘Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?’ Deucalion asked. ‘I want you to join me.’

Derek laughed, the sound aborting as it turned into a hacking cough. Stiles clenched her fists, trying to keep her power under control.

‘Why would I join you? You’re a fanatic.’

‘You know the interesting thing about alphas Derek? We are the epitome of power in a wolf pack, the top of the food chain. I didn’t truly understand that until I lost my sight. You see, it was stolen from me by a hunter that I’m sure you’re all familiar with. Gerard Argent?’

Stiles flinched at the name, schooling her features before anyone noticed.

‘When Gerard took my eyes, one of my betas decided that I was no longer fit for the job of alpha and tried to steal it from me, so I killed him. I learnt something that day which was very informative. When an alpha kills one of their betas they absorb their power. I became stronger, faster, a better alpha.’

Derek coughed, black blood pouring onto the floor from his mouth.

‘You’re killing him,’ Cora shouted from behind Stiles.

Kali held up her hand, a smile on her face.

‘Not yet little sister, but I could.’ She twisted the pole, making Derek cry out in pain.

Stiles gritted her teeth as another wave of white hot pain lanced through her stomach.

‘Just to be on the safe side Duke you might want to get to the point,’ Kali said.

‘This is the problem with being in an alpha pack,’ Deucalion said. ‘Everyone wants their say.’

He stood up, his stick in hand.

‘As I was saying. I absorbed my betas power and I decided to try it again. By the end of my experimentation I had killed my whole pack and I was the most powerful I had ever been. I had taken the many parts of a pack to create a better whole.’

He flipped his stick out so that all the pieces snapped into place.

‘So that’s what you want,’ Stiles piped up from where she was still standing in the grasp of the alpha twins. ‘You want Derek to murder his whole pack and then join you?’

She could feel her nails digging into her palms as she fought for control. Her power trying to fix injuries that weren’t hers.

‘Close,’ Kali said, ‘but not quite.’

‘What else is there?’ Stiles asked, forcing the twins to allow her to stand. The claws in her arms stopping her from going any further. ‘If Derek does what you want there won’t be anyone left.’

‘No one except you,’ Deucalion said, walking over to her. ‘As I told Derek I didn’t come here just for him. I mainly came here for you.’

‘I’ve seen what you do Deucalion. I’ve seen the destruction you and your pack leave in their wake,’ Stiles said. ‘I want no part in it.’

‘But if you came with me I could give you everything you ever wanted,’ Deucalion said. ‘I could get you revenge against Gerard Argent. Revenge I myself want.’

‘Gerard Argent is dead,’ Stiles hissed. ‘He died the night Derek bit him.’

‘Not true,’ Deucalion said. ‘He went into hiding after Derek bit him. If you came with me I can take you to him. I’m sure both you and Derek would both want to take revenge on him for what he did to you.’

Deucalion’s head cocked the moment that Stiles’ heart beat a little faster. A sly smile slipped across his face.

‘Unless you haven’t told him,’ Deucalion said. ‘Shall we show the great Derek Hale just exactly what he doesn’t know?’

He unhooked the tip from the end of his walking stick, revealing a sharp blade.

‘Don’t touch me,’ Stiles shouted as Deucalion put the blade to the buttons on Stiles’ blouse and ripped open the front of it.

The material fell open, and she knew what Derek saw when his eyes went wide and he sucked in a breath.

The map of scars Gerard had left on Stiles’ skin was something she had a hard time getting used to in the beginning. They covered most of her stomach and all of her back, white lines, straight and jagged.

Not all of the scars Stiles had now were from Gerard, but Stiles could pick out each and every one that him and his men had made.

‘Now remind me Stiles,’ Deucalion said, coming to stand beside her. ‘How long was it that Gerard had you. Four hours? Five? He did quite a lot of damage, didn’t he? To be honest I’m surprised that Derek’s little betas didn’t tell him what I saw in their minds about their time in Gerard’s basement. About how they wouldn’t give Derek up, about how he thought you might be a more accommodating member of the pack. About how he tortured you for Derek’s weaknesses, how you screamed every time he brought the blade to your skin.

‘Stop,’ Stiles said, her voice weaker than she had hoped it would be. ‘Just, stop.’

She couldn’t look at Derek, couldn’t face the pity she knew she would find in his eyes.

‘I knew that if I pushed in the right places I would find the alpha and the pack you had already bonded with Stiles,’ Deucalion said. ‘I thought it was that pack that we killed further North, but if it had been you wouldn’t be here now. When I found out your connection to the pack here I just had to see if you would come running, and here we are. I think it might be time to test just how well that connection has developed shall we?’ Deucalion asked.

He nodded to Kali who twisted the pole in Derek’s stomach again, stretching the hole even wider. Stiles couldn’t stop her scream this time as the pain rippled throughout her body.

She felt her knees give way underneath her, the twins grasp the only thing keeping her upright.

Deucalion’s laugh was loud in her ears.

‘Well I would say we have the right alpha,’ he said. ‘Now you have a choice Stiles. I wasn’t lying when I said I came for Derek, but I get the feeling he’s not going to co-operate. So, I have another solution. You have three full days to find a way to break the bond with your pack and bond yourself to mine. If you do that by the time the fourth moon rises then I swear to leave Derek and his pack alone. If not I come back and kill everyone and take you by force.’

Stiles felt relief wash over her as she heard a car revving up the road towards the house.

‘It looks like your friends are going to be a little late,’ Deucalion said.

He headed for the treeline, turning just before he disappeared. When he turned to face Stiles he took his sunglasses off. His eyes glowed solid red and a chilling smile spread across his face.

‘War is coming little Spark. I would suggest you pick a side.’

He stepped into the trees, Ennis and the twins following.

Stiles tried to stand against the pain in her torso.

Kali gave her a wicked smile as she pulled the pole out of Derek’s stomach, his skin ripping again where it had previously healed.

It was the last straw. She heard someone calling her name as a car pulled to the stop at the front of the house, and everything went mercifully black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter... But hey we've finally had a confrontation with Deucalion. I loved writing this scene! More chapters coming soon, I promise


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**DEREK**

Derek’s heart was pounding in his ears as he finally managed to pick himself up off the floor.

He was just in time to see Kyle hoist an unconscious Stiles into his arms and carry her in the house, a worried look plastered on his face.

Derek found them in the sitting room. Stiles was laid out flat on the dining room table. Her breathing loud and laboured.

Kyle was stripping her out of her blouse when Derek spoke.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ he asked.

It came out choked but no one seemed to notice.

Lydia rushed past him, a bowl of water and a cloth in her hands.

‘She’s having a burnout,’ Kyle said as he soaked the cloth and laid it on Stiles’ forehead. ‘If she uses too much of her magic or it’s put under stress her Spark locks her consciousness inside her head until she can heal.’

‘But she’s not injured,’ Cora said as she came to stand beside Derek.

‘And that’s the problem,’ Kyle said. ‘This is one of those times when she’s injured with no injuries.’

‘How can she be injured with no injuries?’ Cora asked, clearly confused.

‘Look, I’ll explain everything,’ Kyle said, ‘but for now I need quiet.’

Derek gave Cora a warning look when she went to ask something else.

He had to clamp down on the whine in his throat as he watched Kyle pull a knife out of his belt and cut Stiles’ right hand open.

He took her blood on his fingers, using it to trace some of the tattoos on Stiles’ stomach, muttering under his breath.

‘Derek take her hand,’ Kyle said, tracing more of the tattoos. ‘Now.’

Derek did as he was told, gripping Stiles’ left hand tightly.

Her skin was clammy and pale under Derek’s hand. He traced the tattoo on the inside of her left elbow with his other hand, the one she always touched when she was nervous.

He realised it was the last two lines of the poem she had left for him and he felt tears pooling in his eyes.

_Please come back to me. Please come back._

He repeated the words in his head like a plea, a prayer.

After what felt like an eternity Derek felt a jolt rush through his arm, like a shock of electricity.

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as Stiles’ back arched off the table. Her eyes shot open as she gasped before coughing.

Kyle grabbed her face in his hands when she laid back down on the table, breathing hard.

‘Quod tria haec, non potest esse diu occultatum?’ he asked her.

‘solem, lunam, vero,’ she replied quietly, a small smile on her face. ‘I’m fine Kyle, really,’ she said, grasping his hands.

‘Good,’ Kyle said.

He dug around in his bag as Stiles sat up, turning to look at Derek who was still holding her hand.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered to Derek, looking him in the eyes. ‘I should have told you.’

‘I should have known,’ he replied.

Behind Stiles Kyle finished rummaging in his bag. He lifted a syringe and held a small sign up so Derek could read it.

**Hold her still.**

Derek furrowed his brows at Kyle, who turned the sign to the other side.

**It’s sedative. She needs to sleep or she’s going to burn out again.**

Derek nodded almost imperceptibly at him.

He grasped Stiles’ arms so she couldn’t move. She looked at him with confusion before turning to Kyle just as he thrust the needle into her arm.

Her eyes began to droop.

‘Sedative Kyle. Really?’ she slurred.

‘It’s for the best,’ he said, as she began to sag in Derek’s arms.

‘I know,’ she whispered, passing out completely.

Kyle checked her pulse before nodding. He grabbed a hoodie from his bag and Derek helped him pull it on her, covering the scars and her tattoos.

‘She should be out for a couple of hours at least,’ Kyle said. ‘I’m actually hoping that the sedative forces her to sleep all night but we’ll have to wait and see.’

‘She can stay here if you want,’ Derek offered. Kyle nodded.

‘That might be best. While she sleeps I can explain everything.’

Derek nodded, lifting Stiles into his arms and carrying her upstairs.

She was lighter than he remembered and Derek realised that despite having more muscle than before she was still incredibly skinny.

He put it on the list of things he should ask Kyle about as he walked into his room.

He laid her on the bed, pulling the duvet up to her shoulders.

He got a small amount of satisfaction knowing that Stiles was sleeping in his room, his wolf giving a pleased huff in his head.

She looked so peaceful, lying asleep, but he couldn’t forget what he had seen, what Deucalion had revealed.

Letting out a long sigh he closed the blinds and switched off the light, leaving Stiles to rest.

***

By the time Derek made it to the living room the whole pack had gathered. Someone had made coffee and sandwiches, and Derek found that he had never been so happy to see caffeinated drinks in his life.

He grabbed a mug before slotting himself between Erica and Cora. Kyle sat across from him, his own mug in his hand.

The Sheriff had arrived with Kyle and was adding some sugar to his coffee. He shot Derek a look, daring him to mention the Sheriff’s little sugar slip to Stiles.

 Peter, Scott, Isaac, Lydia and Allison were all spread across the chairs.

‘So, I guess you know now why Deucalion’s here?’ Kyle said, addressing the question to Derek.

‘He said he was here for Stiles,’ Derek confirmed. ‘After he realised I wouldn’t do what he wanted he promised my safety and the safety of the pack if she went with him. He said something about breaking a bond and bonding herself to the Alpha pack?’

‘What does that even mean?’ Allison asked.

‘Before you start you should all know one thing,’ Kyle said. ‘Stiles isn’t a normal Spark. When she left here she came to the place where I was staying. It’s a sanctuary of sorts run by a Spark called Imogen.’

‘Deaton’s friend,’ Scott clarified.

‘Yes, Imogen has known Deaton for many years. He taught her a lot of the things she knows. When Stiles arrived, she was pretty beaten up, physically and emotionally. Imogen helped her with her physical injuries, but the main problem Stiles was having with her magic was that she wouldn’t talk. All the emotions she was keeping locked up inside was sending it out of control. Eventually I persuaded her to talk to me. The first time she did she shattered all the windows in the house and set the 1000-year-old tree in the back garden on fire.’

The Sheriff snorted at that, and Kyle gave a little smile on his own while Lydia outright laughed.

‘I remember that phone call,’ she said. ‘Imogen wasn’t very impressed.

Derek found himself jealous of them, of the year with Stiles he had lost.

‘Anyway,’ Kyle said, suddenly serious again. ‘Imogen realised after that incident that there was something more to Stiles than just being a Spark. Usually a Spark’s emotions aren’t as linked with their magic as Stiles’ are. She was practising offensive and defensive magic with me one day, and we were talking about her life before she came to us. It was a kind of therapy I guess. It was the first day she mentioned Derek. It was also the second time she had a burn out. She got so angry, her magic began to Spark and then she just collapsed. It took Imogen almost two days to get her to wake up again.’

‘What causes the burn outs?’ Derek asked. ‘I get that they’re connected to her emotions, but why does it lock her in her own head?’

‘When Stiles feels something too strongly her magic takes it as it would if she was severely injured. Her magic tries to fix the problem. With an injury, it would put her into the coma state, fix the problem and then retract allowing her to wake up. With emotional overloads, it doesn’t know where to go, so it tries to keep her under until it can fix the problem.’

‘Which it obviously can’t do because you can’t treat something emotional like a physical injury,’ Lydia supplied.

‘In normal Sparks their emotions wouldn’t do that.’

‘So, if she’s not a normal Spark what is she?’ Allison asked.

‘Stiles is something called a True Spark.’

‘That’s impossible.’ Everyone turned to look at Peter when he spoke. ‘There hasn’t been a True Spark recorded in at least a hundred years.’

‘Imogen thinks maybe even longer,’ Kyle said. ‘What do you know about them?’

‘True Sparks are supposed to be descended from the first ever emissary that watched over the first werewolf pack. They are supposed to be more powerful than normal Sparks. They also create bonds with werewolf packs and their alphas that give them more abilities, more power, especially if the alpha is also their mate.’

He gave Derek a pointed look when he said that, but Derek just shrugged it off and looked away.

‘Which is even rarer,’ Kyle added. ‘It’s a bit more complex than that, but that’s the gist of it. A True Spark’s magic has to accept a wolf pack before they can be bonded to that pack. When the magic has chosen a wolf pack then the True Spark’s power pushes them to perform the ceremony and complete the bond. If they don’t their magic isn’t grounded. It’s the reason that Stiles falls into burn outs so quickly. Normally that overload of power would be absorbed by the pack, but she’s not bonded to anyone so it’s all channelled into her. I wish she would complete the bond, but she refuses to. She feels like she would be tying the werewolf pack to her more than the other way around.’

‘So, her magic has already chosen a pack?’ Scott asked, clearly coming to the wrong conclusion.

‘You really are oblivious aren’t you Scott McCall,’ Lydia said, voicing what Derek was thinking. ‘Her magic bonded to this pack before she left. She came back to help, but she doesn’t want to bond to us because that means she has to stay here. Forever.’

‘So, what Deucalion wants is impossible?’ Derek asked, interrupting Lydia. ‘He wants her to bond with them, but if her magic has already chosen us then she can’t.’

‘And there’s the conundrum she had when we ran into the Alpha pack the first time,’ Kyle said sadly.

Derek took a breath.

‘What happened when you met the Alpha’s last time? I mean what really happened?’

‘What Stiles told you is true, even if she left some things out. We were following down a lead in Wyoming and asked the local alpha if we were okay to stay in her territory. She agreed and even offered some of her betas as back-up. The Alphas were already in town. They watched us for two weeks. It only took that long for Deucalion to find out what Stiles was. He killed the first ten betas to get her attention. We got to the house in time to see the Alphas killing Rachel’s mate. Deucalion threatened to kill Rachel and her daughter Sophia if Stiles didn’t bind herself to him. She tried to explain to him that she couldn’t, that she was already partially bonded to a pack.’

Kyle stopped for a minute, swallowing.

‘He thought it was Rachel’s pack she was bonded with,’ Derek said.

Kyle nodded.

‘He killed Sophia first. Stiles went mad. I’ve never seen her lose control like that, not even when I first met her. Deucalion thought that if he killed Rachel that Stiles would be able to bond to him and his pack. The Alpha’s barely escaped with their lives. They wouldn’t have if Stiles had really been bonded to a pack and had full access to her powers.’

He wiped a hand over his face as Derek sat back on the sofa, guilt churning in his gut.

‘She had nightmares before that night, but since then she barely sleeps. Its why I gave her the sedative. It’s been a failsafe since I realised that she was basically just running on empty most of the time.’

Silence fell in the room. everyone taking a deep, collective breath.

‘Well I think we should all try and get some shut eye,’ the Sheriff said, standing up. ‘We’ve had a long, traumatic day, and we need to be at our best if we’re going to plan to face the Alpha pack.’

Derek nodded.

‘Everyone go home and get some sleep. You all have school in the morning and you’re all going to be there. Be here afterschool for pancakes and planning.’

When Kyle went to leave Derek grabbed his arm.

‘Stay,’ he said. ‘I want you here just in case something happens.’

‘Sure,’ Kyle said. ‘I’ll just grab some of my stuff from the car.’

Derek nodded.

‘There’s a spare bedroom next to mine that you can use.’

Derek went to head up the stairs.

‘Derek,’ Kyle called after him, stopping him on the bottom step. ‘Stiles would never admit it, but she still loves this pack. She still cares for you, no matter what she says. If you give her time, I have no doubt she’ll stay in the end. If anything, she would stay for you.’

He gave Derek a small smile before running out to his car.

Derek couldn’t help the small bud of hope that began to blossom in his chest as he made his way up to his room where Stiles steady heartbeat pounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of reveals. More to come soon. Thank you so much for all the love you've given my fanfiction ramblings so far...


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**STILES**

For the first time in a long time Stiles woke without having a nightmare.

The light slicing through the curtains of the bedroom made her head pound. She groaned as she sat up, opening her eyes properly.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Derek sitting in a chair next to the bed, asleep.

He looked peaceful, but there was a crinkle to his eyebrows as if he had fallen asleep frowning.

She found herself leaning forwards. All she wanted to do in that moment was grab onto Derek and never let him go. At the realisation she pulled away.

He blinked awake when she scrambled back across the bed.

‘Hey,’ Derek said. ‘How are you feeling?’

Stiles rubbed her head where she had smacked it against the wall.

‘Better than I was,’ she replied, her throat dry. ‘What time is it?’

Derek looked at the clock on his bedside table.

‘Nearly three in the afternoon,’ he said. ‘You might want to get up and dressed, the others are coming over after school. They’ll be here soon.’

Stiles grabbed Derek’s hand before he could leave.

‘How much did Kyle tell you?’ she asked. when Derek hesitated, she squeezed his hand. ‘I just want to know what you know.’

‘He told us everything,’ Derek said. ‘Everything he could.’

She nodded, letting go of his hand.

‘I’ll be down in ten minutes.’

He nodded, closing the door behind him.

When he was out of the room she took a deep breath.

She was leaving when all of this was over, she reminded herself. She couldn’t fall for Derek again, she wouldn’t.

Imogen’s words rang through her head as she got out of bed

_There are often deeper bonds between a True Spark and their alpha. Ones that can’t always be ignored. Just remember that there is a choice in bonds, it’s not just about destiny._

She wouldn’t fall for Derek again, she wouldn’t.

Stiles felt the panic building in her stomach as she stepped into the bathroom. Kyle had told them, had told Derek everything. There was a lot that Kyle knew about her that she didn’t think she would have ever told anyone else, and now everyone knew.

The panic clawed at her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She pushed her way back into the bedroom, trying to clamp down on the waves of nausea and dizziness that swept over her.

She could hear her phone vibrating on the bedside table but she ignored it as she tripped, knocking over a pile of books.

The door swung open and she saw Derek crouch down in front of her as she tried to get just one full breath of air into her lungs.

She looked at Derek who was watching her with worry.

She lifted her hands, watching the Sparks fly across her skin.

‘I can’t. I can’t. I can’t,’ she whispered over and over again.

Derek grabbed her hands, looking at a total loss as he squeezed them in his own. 

The bulb in the lamp on the bedside table popped, sending a shower of glass over the floor.

‘Kyle!’ Derek’s voice was loud as he shouted down the hall.

There was the sound of thundering footsteps and in a few seconds she found herself face to face with Kyle.

‘I can’t do it again, I can’t do it again,’ she said to him, hoping he understood.

He glanced at Derek before looking back at Stiles, sadness in his eyes.

‘Oh Smidge, I know,’ he whispered as he rocked her in his arms. ‘I know. But sometimes we don’t get to choose what our heart has already decided for us.’

At his words Stiles broke, the tears falling freely down her face.

***

It took Stiles over half an hour before she could finally compose herself.

She took a long cold shower, washing away all the overwhelming feelings she had from the last couple of days.

Kyle’s words had forced her to face the truth, and that truth terrified her. The truth that she might have never stopped loving Derek. The thought that if things didn’t go the way she planned she could lose him.

She finally picked up her phone and found six missed calls from Zeke. Unlocking her screen she clicked the redial button.

The phone only rang a couple of times before Zeke picked it up.

‘Stiles are you okay?’ he asked, almost shouting down the phone.

‘I’m fine Zeke,’ she said tiredly. ‘I just couldn’t face school today is all.’

‘The talk with your ex that bad huh?’

Stiles snorted as she made her way into the corridor and headed for the stairs.

‘Derek is not my ex,’ Stiles said, pausing. ‘Well he’s not really my ex. Anyway that’s not the point.’

‘I tried to ask the group that sometimes hang around you if they knew anything, but they wouldn’t say. Kyle only said you weren’t feeling well.’

‘Well I’m feeling a bit better now,’ Stiles said. ‘But I think I might just take tomorrow off and come back to school on Monday, give myself the weekend.’

‘You do that,’ Zeke said. ‘Take as much time as you need. I might see you before then.’

‘Maybe,’ Stiles replied.

Derek glanced up from where he was at the stove making pancakes when she walked into the main room.

‘I’ll see you later Zeke,’ she said as the pack turned to look at her.

‘Speak later Stiles.’

The phone clicked as Zeke hung up. Lydia stood from where she had been sitting at the table and came over to Stiles.

‘How are you feeling?’ Lydia asked.

‘I’m fine Lyds,’ Stiles replied as she pulled her into a hug. ‘Seriously I am,’ she promised when Lydia gave her a sceptical look.

‘Well good,’ Lydia said, before she punched her arm.

‘Ow! What was that for?’

‘That didn’t hurt you Stilinski. That was for letting yourself get bad enough that you had a burn out.’

Stiles huffed a laugh and sat down at the table.

A plate of pancakes was placed in front of her, along with a bottle of chocolate syrup. She looked up and found Derek smiling down at her.

‘Half a pound of sugar and carbs,’ she laughed as she drowned her pancakes in the syrup.

‘I still think it’s disgusting,’ Kyle said, sitting next to her.

Stiles just rolled her eyes, gaining a huffed laugh from Derek as he sat on her other side.

When she took the first bite she practically groaned.

‘Who knew Derek Hale could make pancakes from heaven,’ she said around her mouthful.

Derek and Kyle exchanged a look before bursting out laughing.

‘Now that is disgusting,’ Derek said, getting a him of agreement from Kyle.

‘Hey look at you two, agreeing on something,’ she said taking a sip of coffee. ‘I think I might have preferred it when you hated each other.’

‘That’s what we all say about you and Derek,’ called Lydia from the opposite end of the table.

Stiles flicked a piece of pancake at her, resulting in a satisfying screech, just as her phone rang.

Her dad’s picture popped up on the screen.

‘Yo daddyo,’ she answered it, getting an eye roll out of Scott this time.

Her dad didn’t reply.

‘Hello. Dad?’

‘Hey sorry kiddo it’s a bit mental over here this morning.’

‘It’s okay, what’s up?’

‘I just wanted to let you know Stiles. They found another two bodies this morning.’

‘Two?’ She said in disbelief, looking at Derek who wore a similar shocked expression.

‘Yep same MO as all the others.’

‘Who were they?’ Stiles asked gesturing to Kyle to get her paper and a pen.

She wrote down all the details her dad gave her on the pad he gave her.

‘Okay Dad, thanks. Stay safe. You know there’s only one group left.’

‘I know Kiddo,’ he said. ‘I love you Stiles.’

‘I love you too Dad,’ she replied before he hung up.

Kyle took the pad of paper, pulling out all the other notes they had about he sacrifices.

‘Healers,’ Derek said.

Stiles nodded, as she began to arrange all the information into piles.

‘Two ER doctors that were on shift last night.’

She clocked Scott taking a relieved breath and Stiles’ own chest loosened a bit as she realised that it meant Melissa was now safe, even if it was because two other people were dead.

‘We still don’t have any idea who the Druid is,’ Isaac said. ‘So we have no way to stop them when they go after three Guardians.’

‘So how do we find out who it is?’ Allison asked. ‘There has to be a way.’

‘Yeah there is,’ Stiles said, ‘but it’s not a test we can just throw at anyone because then we would look nuts.’

‘Why what’s the test?’ Derek asked.

‘This,’ Stiles said.

She gestured to Kyle who took out a small jar of white powder from his bag and threw it at Stiles. She caught it and Kyle stood in the middle of the kitchen.

Stiles took a handful of the powder, closing her eyes and blowing it towards Kyle. Where the powder touched his skin it flashed a dark blue, revealing the Druidic runes that covered his body. As the powder settled the runes disappeared again.

‘When Druids use magic it imprints on their skin,’ Kyle said. ‘We gain runes as we learn more. They’re hidden to the naked eye but mistletoe acts to Druids as wolfsbane does to wolves so it flashed our runes.’

‘But for obvious reasons I can’t just go around blowing mistletoe powder in the faces of everyone we’ve ever come into contact with. We’ve been keeping an eye out for anything suspicious in the area, but apart from the killings there’s nothing traceable back to the Druid.’

‘I don’t know about anything suspicious,’ Lydia said. ‘But how about someone?’

‘What are you thinking Lyds?’ Stiles asked.

‘Well we have this new English teacher at school. Ugh, what’s her name.’

‘Jennifer Blake,’ Scott said, butting in.

‘Yeah that’s it,’ Lydia continued.

‘She’s the one teaching when the school had the bird incident wasn’t she?’ Derek asked.

‘Oh yeah,’ Isaac said. ‘That was weird.’

‘What do the birds have to do with anything?’ Scott asked, pulling Derek’s attention back to the conversation. ‘I mean it was weird but this is Beacon Hills.’

‘Well a Druid using dark magic could have used the birds as a way to gain more power.’

‘Like a mass suicide or sacrifice,’ Lydia said.

‘Exactly,’ replied Stiles. ‘If it was Miss Blake then she could have used the birds as a way to gain a boost in power. Not as much as killing people, but enough to do a simple spell.’

‘A spell to do what?’ Erica asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Stiles replied.

‘What else do we know about her that makes us think she could be the Druid?’ Kyle asked.

‘Well as far as I know she only arrived in town a month or so ago,’ Lydia said. ‘Right when the sacrifices started.’

‘We need to find out more on her if we are to put her down as a suspect,’ Kyle said. ‘I can try to do a background check and see where that leads us.’

‘Okay then,’ Stiles said clapping her hands together, making all the werewolves wince. ‘We know that the Druid has killed twelve people already. they only need to complete the last trio, which is Guardians. They are the most powerful of the sacrifices, which is why they go last. Now whoever is making the sacrifices has clearly been escalating and we need to figure out why.’

‘But at the moment we’re facing off against the Alpha pack and the Druid at the same time,’ Kyle pointed out. ‘We’re playing a losing game. We’re not one play behind, we’re ten plays behind. We have no idea how the Alpha’s plan to beat us or why the Druid is in town or even accumulating power.’

‘That’s it,’ Stiles said quietly.

‘What’s it?’ Kyle asked, exasperated.

‘A game Kyle. That’s it!’

She shot to her feet, grabbing her bag from where Kyle had dumped it at the door.

‘What are you looking for Stiles?’

‘The maps Kyle, our maps.’

Kyle pulled his own bag towards him and pulled out the papers Stiles was looking for.

‘Stiles what are you thinking?’ Derek asked as Stiles flattened the maps on the table.

‘Kyle was right when he said that we’re losing the game. We’re losing it because we’re the only party who doesn’t have all the pieces.’

She started frantically drawing and writing on the map, flipping through the pages of information they had and jotting them down on the lines she drew.

‘It’s like chess to them. They’re moving pieces in tandem with each other. To play the game we need to see the whole board.’

‘What board?’ Kyle asked.

Stiles stepped back.

‘This board,’ she said, a smile on her face.

Every sat round the table came to stand behind her and she could see the realisation dawning in Derek’s eyes as he stared at the paths she had drawn, the connections she had made.

‘Has anyone ever told you you’re brilliant?’ Kyle asked quietly. ‘Because you are.’

‘They’re the same,’ Derek said dumbfounded. ‘The Alpha’s have been stalking packs.’

‘And where the Alphas have been the Druid follows,’ Stiles finished. ‘And every single step has lead them here to Beacon Hills for the final showdown.’

‘That’s why the Alphas are stepping up their plans,’ Lydia said. ‘Because they know the Druid is here, that they’re coming for them.’

‘And if we can figure out the Druid’s motive. What they plan to do with the power they’ve accumulated then we have all the pieces in our hand,’ Stiles said.

‘And how do we find out that?’ Scott asked.

‘We start with figuring out the answer to two questions,’ Stiles said. ‘Where could the Druid store that amount of power in Beacon Hills, and why have they escalated the killings?’

‘I get the feeling that those are questions that Deaton will be able to answer,’ said Derek.

Stiles nodded, ‘that’s what I thought too.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh... Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**STILES**

Derek decided to keep the pack at the house that night, deciding that it was better to have everyone together before heading over to Deaton’s in the morning.

Chris had agreed to stay over, and Stiles and Scott had managed to persuade their parents to come back to the house after their late shifts.

Exhausted, Stiles had fallen asleep in Derek’s bed again.

Her heart didn’t miss a beat when she had felt Derek lie down beside her in the late hours of the night, and she had unconsciously moved closer to him until her back was flat against his chest, his warmth leeching through her t-shirt.

That night her nightmares returned with a vengeance and images she had never seen before.

Some were the same as they had always been. Blood and screams. Claws flashing down towards her face.

Some were different. The stump of a tree that had been cut down but had clearly once been huge. Its roots dripped blood into a kind of cellar below the stump.

The voice of Deucalion may have no longer played in her mind, but it was replaced by another voice. Female, distorted. She couldn’t make out what it said at first, but when she did it sent chills up her spine.

**By blood it began, and by blood it must end.**

An image of a distorted face, claw marks scarred across it like something from a nightmare flashed across her vision.

Someone was screaming as the face sneered at her.

It took her a moment to realise that it was her who was screaming.

She woke to Derek leaning over her, a terrified look on his face as he shook her. She could hear him shouting her name, but his voice sounded like it was underwater.

Her skin prickled and she felt like she had been dunked in ice water as she gasped and finally came to.

Derek’s hands were on her shoulders, his eyes fierce and bleeding red as he stared at her.

When she glanced around the room her heart skipped a beat.

There were books all over the room. The covers from the bed had been thrown away. The door was hanging by one hinge and all of the bulbs had blown, glass covering the floor.

‘What happened?’ she asked quietly.

‘I don’t know,’ replied Derek. ‘You wouldn’t wake up. Your eyes were bright purple and then the room started getting torn apart.’

When she looked back at Derek she realised that his arms were covered in cuts that were slowly shutting.

‘I am so sorry,’ she gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth. ‘What did I do?’

‘Hey,’ Derek said, grabbing her hands. ‘You don’t need to apologise. You weren’t in control. I’m healing so it’s fine.’

‘But what if it wasn’t you?’ she asked quietly. ‘What if it was Lydia or Allison? What if I really hurt someone?’

Derek sat back on the bed.

‘I think we should go and see Deaton. See if he can figure out what’s going on.’

Stiles nodded.

‘Sooner rather than later,’ she replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a short chapter. I'm excited for the next one though


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**STILES**

They went to Deaton’s when the sun rose.

Isaac, Scott and Kyle all tagging along.

Deaton smiled as they walked through the door, but his smile changed to a frown as his eyes settled on Stiles.

‘What can I do for you?’ he asked her.

‘I need your help,’ she said.

He nodded, ushering them through to the back room of the practice.

‘So, what is it that you need my help with?’ Deaton asked as he closed the door behind the group.

‘I’ve been having nightmares,’ said Stiles.

‘When did they start?’ Deaton asked.

‘The night that Jackson died. The night…’ Stiles took a breath. ‘The night that Gerard and his men tortured me.’

She saw Derek flinch out of the corner of her eye, as well as the looks of shock on Scott and Isaac’s faces.

‘And you get them how often?’

‘Almost every night without fail. They got less frequent and less severe when I left a year ago,’ Stile said when Kyle shot her a betrayed look. ‘But when I came back they got bad again.’

‘Okay. What are your nightmares about?’ Deaton asked, grabbing a notepad and pen to take notes.

‘That’s kind of what I need your help for,’ Stiles said. ‘The nightmares aren’t really like a normal dream, they’re just flashes of images. There’s always blood and claws and screaming. At first there was a voice that echoed in my head.’

‘What did it say?’

Stiles swallowed.

‘War is coming little Spark.’

Derek’s head shot up.

‘That’s what Deucalion said to you,’ he said quietly.

Stiles nodded.

‘And you didn’t think it might be a good idea to mention that to us?’ asked Kyle.

‘I didn’t think anything of it,’ Stiles replied, her voice rising. ‘But then last night my nightmare changed and when Derek finally managed to get me to wake up I had trashed the room.’

‘What changed?’ Deaton asked, drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

‘Well the claws and the blood and screaming are still there, but there was this tree. Well it wasn’t a tree anymore, just the huge stump like it had been cut down. There was blood dripping from its roots. I saw a distorted face before I woke up that looked like it had been clawed apart. And there was a woman’s voice.’

‘What did the voice say this time?’

‘By blood it began, and by blood it must end.’

‘Because that’s not ominous,’ Isaac muttered.

Deaton ignored Isaac, instead grabbing a book off a shelf and flicking through it. He pushed the book towards Stiles when he found the page he was looking for.

Drawn in what looked like ink was a huge tree, covering the whole page. Its root were drawn as well, a fivefold knot carved into the trunk.

‘That’s it,’ Stiles said, the shock registering in her voice. ‘That’s the tree. I mean it’s a stump in my dreams but that’s it.’

‘You’re sure,’ Deaton said.

Stiles nodded.

‘I would recognise it anywhere. What is it?’

‘I think the tree you saw is what is left of Beacon Hill’s Nemeton.’

‘A Neme-what?’ Scott asked.

‘Nemeton,’ Stiles said. ‘I’ve only ever seen one. Imogen has one in the back garden of her house. They are focal points for Druidic magic. Most of them lie on what modern science would call ley lines or telluric currents, those lines are actually places where natural magic intersects. When a group of Druid’s settled in one place they would plant the seed of a Nemeton and would use their magic to help it grow. It establishes a kind of magical balance in an area that keeps supernatural creatures’ safe.’

‘Except the one in Beacon Hills was cut down,’ Deaton said. ‘During the Salem Witch trials in the 1600s hunters used the unrest to track down and kill supernatural creatures without provocation. The Argents of their day had just settled in Beacon Hills at that point. The story goes that one night that one night the sky burned red. The Argents took it as a sign to destroy the Druid coven that lived here in Beacon Hills, cutting them off from their magic anchor by cutting down the sacred Nemeton.’

‘But if a Nemeton’s cut down it unleashes chaos,’ Kyle said. ‘Beacon Hills shouldn’t exist anymore.’

‘No it shouldn’t,’ Deaton agreed. ‘But the Druids were penned in Beacon Hills with no way to escape. The coven leader knew that if they didn’t re-balance the Nemeton it would destroy the town and everyone in it.’

He turned the page, showing the cut down Nemeton surrounded by bodies. Stiles looked more closely at the drawing and sucked in a breath.

‘The three-fold death,’ she said.

‘A Druid coven is made up of five kinds of people Virgins, Warriors, Healers, Philosophers and Guardians. Each one has a different specialism in their power to add to the coven and its magic.’

‘They sacrificed themselves,’ Kyle said, running his hand over the image.

Deaton nodded.

‘The Druidic leader used dark magic to commit the sacrifices of his own coven. The magic from the first four groups flowed back into the Nemeton and contained its power.’

‘What about the last group?’ Stiles asked.

Deaton swallowed, looking directly in her eyes as he spoke.

‘The Druid leader became a Darach, a dark oak or dark Druid. His son realised what the sacrificial magic had done to his father. That kind of magic twists a person, can make them do unspeakable things with no provocation. He weakened his father, allowing the hunters to kill him. Afterwards the son realised that the final group had not been completed. Without the Guardians the Nemeton’s power could only be contained for so long, it needed the last group for balance to be restored. The Druid leader’s son sacrificed himself to balance the Nemeton and saved the last members of the coven. His willingness to save his people from the evil his father had created balanced the Nemeton.’

‘Dark Druid,’ Derek said. ‘Like the one that’s killing people in town?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ Deaton said. ‘I didn’t think that the Nemeton would still have power. It’s been almost four hundred years since the coven nullified it. It should be dead. But something clearly awoke it, and now the Darach is sacrificing people to the Nemeton to gain its power for something.’

‘So how does this explain Stiles’ nightmares?’ Isaac asked.

‘Well I think that Stiles nightmares come from two sources,’ Deaton said. ‘She was having the nightmares before the Darach arrived in Beacon Hills. I think that’s to do with her partial bond to Derek and the pack.’

‘That’s what Imogen thought,’ Stiles said. ‘That it’s a way for my power to try and force me to bond fully with Derek.’

‘Exactly, your nightmares are the way that your power is trying to communicate what it sees as perceived threats to the pack. It foresaw Deucalion’s attack against Derek and tried to warn you.’

‘So, what about now?’ Stiles asked.

‘I get the feeling that there is something more to the nightmares now,’ Deaton continued. ‘The fact that the Nemeton is in your dreams makes me think that it is trying to communicate with you. If the Darach has already connected to the Nemeton it may be trying to get you to stop whatever dark magic they are using before it destroys Beacon Hills like it did back in the 1600s.’

‘But how do I find out what it’s trying to tell me?’ Stiles asked.

‘You’re not going to like it,’ was all Deaton said, heading through to the other room and dragging out what looked like a huge metal tub. ‘But it’s the only thing I know to do.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took longer for this update, university has started again and is taking up a lot of my time so updates might be slower from now on. I'll try to at least post a chapter once a week.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**DEREK**

Stiles looked at the bath of iced water like she wanted to be sick. She flinched when she touched the surface, pulling her hand back like it had burned her.

She had changed out of her jeans and t-shirt and into a loose dress and pair of shorts that she had stashed in her jeep in the eventuality that all her clothes got covered in blood or dirt.

Scott was setting up a camera in the corner of the room with a view of the entire space so that they could go over anything they learnt. If what Deaton was doing worked.

‘How is this going to help?’ Stiles asked, her face sceptical as Deaton poured another pack of ice into the water.

‘Like I said before your power is already partially linked with Derek and his pack. Your power, therefore, responds to things it sees as threats to the pack. It does this by projecting images into your dreams that you can use to understand and then fight the threat. The Nemeton is hitching a ride on these nightmares to try and send you a message. However, the images are hard to decipher and this procedure will help to make sense of them.’

‘What’s the aim?’ Derek asked, knowing Stiles liked things explained to their fullest.

‘It’ll lower her heartrate and let her magic rise to the surface. The mix of those two will put her into a state that acts like she’s sleeping so the nightmares will occur, but I will be able to control where the nightmares go and what Stiles’ focuses on. Hopefully.’

‘So, it’s kind of like supernatural hypnosis,’ Stiles said, making Derek smile slightly.

‘Sort of,’ Deaton said. ‘Except this procedure has risks involved and actually works.’

‘Okaay.’ Stiles stood up.

‘Alright. Stiles when we start I need you to step in the tub and sit down. Derek and Kyle, both of you will need to push Stiles under the water and keep her under until she goes into the trance. She might fight you. No matter what happens you must hold her under, no matter what she does or says.’

Derek nodded numbly. He glanced at Stiles who was looking even paler than before. He walked over to her.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ he asked her, touching her arm. She flinched slightly.

‘You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called voluntary apnoea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore.’

Derek knew what Stiles was doing. She was running through everything she knew about this scenario, piecing together everything that could go wrong.

He couldn’t imagine being inside her head. It would be like stepping into a tornado that was underwater and encased in fire. Hot and cold all and once and far too much for one person to think about.

‘Everything’s going to be fine Stiles,’ Derek said, trying to reassure her.

‘But what if it’s not?’ she asked. ‘What if this never stops? What if this is life now and it just keeps on going? What if I keep on holding my breath and never let the peace in?’

‘Well look at your analogy. What if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?

‘You do anyway. It's a reflex.’

‘But if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time, right?

’Not much.’

‘But more time to fight your way to the surface?’

He could see the gears going behind Stiles’ eyes, all the thoughts running through her head.

‘I guess. More time to be in agonizing pain. I mean, did you forget about the part where you feel like your head's exploding?’

‘If it's about survival, isn't a little agony worth it?’

Stiles nodded eventually.

‘Right, let’s do this,’ she said.

Taking a deep breathe she stepped into the tub. Derek could hear her heart rate spike at the shock of the cold against her skin. Beating like a drum in his ears.

Stiles sat down, breathing hard, trying to control her reactions and mostly failing.

‘Okay Kyle, Derek, put your hands on her shoulders and when I tell you to push down hard and keep her under.’

Deaton sprinkled some kind of herb on top of the water and chanted something under his breath that Derek couldn’t hear. They watched in fascination as Stiles’ eyes began to glow purple, clearly responding to whatever Deaton was doing.

‘Now,’ Deaton said and Derek pushed.

Stiles slid under the surface of the water, her eyes closing as she went. Almost instantly she began thrashing. Her body trying to save itself.

What Stiles’ had said about drowning ran through Derek’s head and he could feel his wolf whining, trying to force him to let go of Stiles’ shoulder. He knew his eyes were glowing with the force of will it was taking to tamp down on the instinct.

The lights began to flicker, responding to Stiles’ distress.

What seemed like an age later Stiles’ finally stilled.

‘You can let go now,’ Deaton said quietly.

Derek and Scott did, allowing Stiles’ to float to the surface now that she met no resistance. When she broke the surface her eyes flew open, glowing a bright purple.

‘Only I speak,’ Deaton said. ‘Too many voice will pull her out of the trance.’

Derek nodded his agreement, watching Stiles’ closely.

‘Stiles I need you to listen to me,’ Deaton said, his voice calm and firm. ‘I need you to go back to the nightmares you’ve been having. I need you to remember them, to focus on them.’

Stiles closed her eyes, screwing them so that creases formed in between her eyebrows.

‘I need you to let the nightmares in Stiles,’ Deaton said when she began to shake her head. ‘Just let go and let them in. It’ll be better when you do.’

Derek knew the moment she did, her gasp loud in his ears before the scream started. It was piercing, filling the room until it felt like his eardrums were bursting.

Stiles sat up in the water, before throwing herself out of the tub and sprawling on the floor, still screaming.

Derek went to grab her but Deaton shouted, ‘No, don’t touch her.’

As soon as the screaming started it stopped.

Stiles stood in the middle of the room, water dripping off her fingers and clothes onto the floor. Her eyes were closed.

‘What’s going on?’ Derek whispered.

Deaton shushed him with a finger to his lips.

‘Stiles?’ Deaton’s voice was loud in the room.

Stiles’ eyes shot open. They were glowing bright purple. Her face was picture of complete calm.

She flicked her gaze around the room, assessing, before it landed back on Deaton.

‘You are a Druid,’ she said, looking straight at Deaton. Her voice had an undercurrent to it, something deep and old that sent chills through Derek’s spine.

‘I am from an old Druid family in the North,’ Deaton said, nodding.

Stiles glanced between Scott and Isaac.

‘Shifters. New bloodlines,’ she smiled, her eyes flashing. ‘Strong bloodlines.’

Her eyes moved across the room until they landed on Derek.

‘Hale.’ Stiles voice deepened, her eyes glowing brighter. ‘Your family have lived on my lands for generations, since the first of my people filled the air with magic your family has been our protectors.’

‘You’re the Nemeton.’

Kyle took a step forward, a look of wonder on his face as Stiles turned to face him.

‘And you, Kyle Ruith, are from a very ancient line of Druids. One that has existed since before the Western man came to these shores. A bloodline that may be even older than myself.’

‘If you’re the Nemeton, where is Stiles?’ Isaac asked.

‘She is still here. She simply agreed to allow me some time of control so that I may speak with all of you. There is a darkness spreading across this land. If you are not careful it will consume everything in its path.’

‘What darkness?’ Scott asked.

‘You call it a Darach,’ the Nemeton said. ‘But they are simply a vessel through which the darkness is spread.’

‘Where did the darkness start?’ Derek asked.

Stiles’ eyes flicked to him.

‘There has always been a darkness in this land. This time the spread of it began with Kali,’ the Nemeton said. ‘The Alpha pack is an abomination, a distortion of the natural order. To maintain balance the Alphas slaughter their packs.’

‘So how did Kali start the darkness?’ Derek asked.

‘She did not do what the balance required,’ the Nemeton said. ‘Her emissary, Killian Stake. She left him gravely injured, but alive. He came to me begging for vengeance. I gave him the power to kill Kali and restore the balance, but he used the power for the wrong ends and in the process, it has destroyed him.’

So the Darach wasn’t the English teacher.

‘What does he want?’ Deaton asked.

‘To kill the Alpha pack,’ the Nemeton said. ‘But to do that he needed power, power I would not give. He has gained that power by taking innocent lives that were not freely given. The darkness that has taken a hold of him will eventually take control. He will become an unstoppable force, even for a pack with a True Spark at their side.’

‘So how do we stop him?’ Scott asked. ‘What can we do?’

‘We can stop him making the final sacrifices,’ Derek said. ‘Do you know where he will be making them, or who he will be taking?’

‘The sacrifices cannot be stopped,’ the Nemeton said. ‘They have upset the balance of magic in this land. That balance must be restored. There are events that have been set in motion which cannot be altered.’

‘Then what can you tell us?’ Derek asked, frustrated.

‘The Alphas and the Darach are on the move. They plan for the final confrontation. Use the blood moon to your advantage and you will come through this war unscathed.’

‘What’s a blood moon?’ Isaac asked.

Stiles’ eyes began to flicker between purple and honey as she swayed on her feet.

‘Use the blood moon,’ the Nemeton said again.

As if her strings had been cut Stiles collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the mysteriousness continues. I'm in the process of writing the final few chapters at the moment. When I'm done I might just upload the rest of the chapters in one go but I'll have to wait and see. Thank you so much for all your great support so far! I've really loved writing this and your love for it has definitely helped. Who knows, maybe I'll turn it into a proper series...


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**STILES**

Stiles came to in the back room of the vet clinic. She was covered in layers and layers of blankets. Sitting up, she froze when she saw the figure slumped in the chair next to her.

Derek’s head was against his chest, his eyelids fluttering as they moved in his sleep.

His eyes flicked open when Stiles hissed as her bare feet hit the cold floor.

‘Hi,’ Stiles said, leaning against the table for support as her legs tried to get used to holding her weight again.

Someone had taken off her wet clothes and had dressed her in a pair of joggers and an oversized jumper that smelt suspiciously like Derek.

‘Hi yourself,’ Derek replied. ‘How’re you feeling?’

Stiles winced as Derek switched on the lights, the sudden brightness making her head pound.

‘I’ve felt better,’ she said quietly, as even the sound of her own voice made her wince.

‘Do you remember what happened?’ Derek asked.

Stiles only nodded in response.

‘I was the one who let the Nemeton speak through me remember? Just don’t let me do it again anytime soon because that was not a fun experience. Where are the others?’

‘Scott and Isaac went to school. Kyle is talking to Deaton at the moment about the eclipse. They’re trying to figure out what the Nemeton meant when she said _use the blood moon_.’

Stiles tried to walk forward but ended up in a pile of limbs on the floor.

‘Where are you going?’ Derek asked, barely catching her before she crashed into the table behind her.

‘I need to talk to Kyle. I know what she meant about the blood moon. Where are they?’

‘They’re in the other room,’ Derek said as Stiles tried to walk again. ‘Let me help you, or you’re going to hurt yourself.’

Stiles grumbled, but ended up using Derek’s arm as a crutch, allowing him to lead her through to where Deaton and Kyle were pouring over moon charts.

‘The next blood moon is tomorrow but I don’t know how we could use it,’ Deaton was saying.

‘It must have some significance. Deucalion told Stiles she had until the fourth moon rose before he came back for us all,’ Kyle replied. ‘The fourth moon is also tomorrow night.’

‘Blood moons are a kind of eclipse,’ Deaton said. ‘Eclipses are like a super moon for wolves. They make them stronger as the pull of the moon is stronger.’

‘But if it would give us an advantage why would he choose to come back on that night?’

‘Because it doesn’t give us an advantage,’ Stiles said as she and Derek walked through the door. ‘That’s why the Nemeton said _use_ the blood moon not _wait for_ the blood moon.’

‘What do you mean?’ Kyle asked.

That’s one of the things that Stiles liked about Kyle, if she was on her feet he didn’t waste time asking her if she was alright.

‘She said that the Alpha Pack and the Darach are both heading towards the final confrontation. The Alphas have dictated that it will be the night of the blood moon and I suspect it’s for a good reason in their minds, but they’ve made a huge error in choosing that night.’

‘But I’ve been through eclipses before,’ Derek said. ‘They’re the best full moons to experience. It’s a kind of rush.’

‘But it’s not just an eclipse,’ Stiles said. ‘A blood moon only happens once every fifty years. The story of the Druids that you told us, of the night when the Argents cut the Nemeton down. You said that the sky burned red. Did you really think it would be possible for a group of hunters to get past a whole coven of Druids and not be killed before they could get to the Nemeton?’

The room was silent.

‘A blood moon cancels out the power of the moon.’

‘What does that mean?’ Derek asked.

‘A wolf’s power, their base power, comes from the moon,’ Stiles said. ‘The colour of their eyes is the reflection of the power’s moon within them. An alpha, like you, has more power so their eyes shine a deeper brighter red. Betas are the middle level, so their eyes are gold. Omegas are the weakest so their eyes are blue. The blood moon cancels out the power of the moon so the wolves lose their power. It basically makes wolves human.’

‘But what does that have to do with the Druids?’ Derek asked.

‘Druids powers are also centred around the moon,’ Deaton said as Kyle nodded. ‘If the power of the moon is cancelled out then Druids won’t be able to access their power so they are at their weakest.’

‘So how does that help us?’ Kyle asked.

‘It helps because a blood moon doesn’t affect dark magic, it amplifies it.’

‘The Darach,’ Kyle said. ‘The Darach will be at their strongest on that night.’

‘So, Deucalion comes for us,’ Derek said. ‘To get rid of us before the Darach can complete the sacrifices. Our power added to his means he can kill the Darach before the Darach can kill them. The Darach is waiting for that night so that they can complete the sacrifices during the blood moon and then use the weakness of the Alphas to kill them.’

‘But if the Darach is so powerful why do they need all the sacrifices?’ Deaton asked.

‘Because,’ Stiles said. ‘They need a failsafe in case they don’t get a chance to kill Deucalion and the Alphas before the blood moon wanes. It only lasts for five minutes, which isn’t much time to sacrifice three people, absorb the power and kill the Alphas. The power from the sacrifices means they won’t need an eclipse to kill Deucalion and his pack.’

‘And the Nemeton told you all this?’ Kyle asked. ‘Because I know you’re smart but that’s a lot to put together between being controlled by the Nemeton and then being unconscious.’

‘The Nemeton talked to me while I was out,’ Stiles said quietly, ‘she told me what she could about what would probably happen. She’s not omniscient, but she can read the lines of magic and knows the events that will most likely unfold.’

Stiles willed her heart to beat steady, masking it slightly with her magic, hoping that Derek wouldn’t hear the lie she had just spoken in its beats.

‘She came to you as a person?’ Deaton asked, clearly intrigued.

Stiles sucked in a shaky breath, tears gathering at the edges of her vision.

‘She came to me as my mother.’

Kyle took her hand and squeezed it, a sad smile on his face.

‘So we need to find a way to use all this knowledge to our advantage,’ Derek said, his brows furrowed as he thought. ‘We have less than two days to figure it out.’

Stiles nodded.

‘You should call a pack meeting. We need everyone’s brains on this one.’

‘I’ll text everyone now. We should get back to the house, gather all the information we have.’

Kyle began gathering up all the papers that he and Deaton had been looking at.

‘You two go on ahead,’ Stiles said. ‘I want to talk to Deaton about some things, I’ll catch you up.’

Derek gave her a critical look before nodding. Reaching into his pocket and pulled out her jeep keys, laying them on the table.

‘Pack meeting is happening after school’s out,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you back at the house.’

Stiles nodded as Kyle and Derek headed for the door.

She turned to Deaton when she heard Derek’s Camaro pulling away.

‘What did you want to talk about?’ the Druid asked.

‘I think you know what Deaton,’ she said. Deaton nodded, a knowing look in his eyes.

‘I think I do, but do you understand the cost of what you’re doing?’

‘I understand,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m willing to do whatever’s necessary.’

Deaton nodded.

‘Then I think you’re right,’ he said. ‘We do have some things to talk about.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me so long to post another chapter, that's what happens when you start back at university again everything gets on top of you...


	20. Chapter Twenty

**STILES**

Stiles sat on the porch of the Hale house as the sun rose over the preserve.

Tonight was the night of the fourth moon, the blood moon. Today was the day when they either defeated an Alpha pack and a Darach, or all died trying.

The pack meeting the night before had been as fruitful as it could be, everyone agreeing to a simple plan that could work, or backfire.

Stiles felt her skin prickle when Derek stepped out onto the porch, coming to sit beside Stiles.

He handed her a mug of coffee, the warmth leeching into Stiles’ hands as she wrapped them around it.

They were silent for a long time, watching as the mist rose from the tree tops, dissipating in the morning air.

‘We could all die today,’ Stiles said quietly.

‘Or we could make it through this,’ Derek replied.

Stiles didn’t manage to reply as her phone vibrated in her lap. She picked it up, the sheriff’s station number flashing on the screen.

‘Hi dad, I’m guessing that’s you just leaving.’

‘Stiles?’

The voice on the other end was one she recognised, but it wasn’t her father.

‘Parrish. Why are you calling me from the station?’

Derek’s brows furrowed as she looked over at him.

‘I’m so sorry Stiles, it’s your father. He’s missing.’

‘Wh… what? What do you mean missing?’ she demanded down the phone.

‘He was out on a call last night somewhere near the preserve. The deputy on patrol this morning found his squad car abandoned. There’s blood in the front seat and on the dashboard. I’m sorry. We have search parties out for him, but the dogs haven’t found any trail at all.’

_No, no, no, no, no…_

She didn’t realise she had let go of the phone until she heard it clatter on the floor.

Stumbling to her feet she walked in a daze into the kitchen. Lydia looked at her with concern before jumping to her feet as Stiles collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

‘Stiles what’s wrong?’ she asked, wrapping Stiles in her arms.

Outside she could hear Derek talking to Parrish on the phone, trying to find out more information about her father’s disappearance.

He stopped talking for a moment before saying a quiet thank you. A moment later he was in the house.

The rest of the pack had come tumbling into the main living room when Derek called them.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Scott asked, obviously meaning Stiles.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at them.

‘The Sheriff was taken last night,’ Derek said. ‘The cops are looking for him but so far there’s no trace.’

‘You think it’s the Darach,’ Lydia said.

‘It’s too much of a coincidence not to be,’ Stiles said, pushing herself to her feet and wiping her eyes. Her father didn’t need her breaking down, he needed her finding a way to stop the Darach taking anyone else.

‘Which means whoever it is knows that Stiles’ father is the Sheriff,’ said Scott.

‘That’s half the county,’ replied Allison, ‘so it doesn’t narrow it down much.’

‘So we need to find a way to protect all of the cops in Beacon Hills,’ Erica said. ‘While they are out looking for the Sheriff and without knowing who the Darach is going to pick or how they will take them.’

‘So basically we have nothing,’ Isaac said. ‘Again.’

‘I can call my dad and see if he knows any way to track the Sheriff that the cops wouldn’t know,’ Allison said.

‘We could use all the help we can get,’ Derek said in reply.

‘What can we do for now?’ Lydia asked as Allison called her father’s number.

‘We wait,’ Derek said. ‘We need to be prepared for the confrontation tonight. We won’t be any use to the Sheriff if we go missing or get ourselves killed before them.

‘That’s strange,’ Allison said, pulling her phone away from her ear. ‘It went to voicemail.’

‘So try again in a few minutes,’ Scott said. ‘He could just be busy.’

‘Not you don’t get it Scott. My dad is a hunter. He always has his phone on him as a precaution. He wouldn’t just not answer it.’

Stiles walked over to the kitchen counter, clutching it as thoughts raced through her head. Something crumpled underneath her fingers.

She unravelled the paper to reveal a permission slip for Isaac to attend an away meet for the lacrosse team. The line on the bottom caught her eye and she sucked in a breath.

She didn’t even notice Derek had walked over to her until he touched her shoulder and she jumped.

‘Stiles what is it?’ he asked, immediately reading the shocked look she knew would be on her face.

‘Scott,’ Stiles said, drawing Scott’s attention to her. ‘You need to call your mom.’ When Scott didn’t move she shouted, ‘right now Scott!’

‘Okay,’ he said, pulling out his phone and dialling the number for the front desk at the hospital.

As Scott spoke to the nurse on the desk Derek turned to her.

‘Why is he calling his mom Stiles? What are you thinking.’

‘She’s not answering her pager,’ Scott said as he hung up. ‘But she could just be busy with ward rounds and things.’

‘Stiles why did Scott have to call his mom?’ Derek asked again.

Stiles held up the paper to Derek, showing him the line at the bottom where his signature lay.

‘Because I was wrong. Guardian doesn’t mean law enforcement,’ Stiles choked out. ‘It means parent.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I have news... I finished writing this fic today! I am so happy with it, like so so happy with it. Thank you so much for your continuing support so far, seriously it is so great to read all of your responses. I'll probably be uploading the chapters over the next couple of weeks and maybe even start a new one in this series. I'll just have to wait and see...


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**DEREK**

Derek watched Stiles closely all afternoon as they gathered the information that told them all what they already knew, the parents of Alisson, Scott and Stiles had all been taken by the Darach.

Stiles spent the afternoon with Kyle training out the front of the house.

She was a whirlwind of rage and magic and it slightly terrified Derek as she watched her unload on Kyle.

After the finding out that all three parents were missing she had just grabbed Kyle, grabbed a pair of knives and dragged him outside.

At Stiles’ age Derek was hiding away in New York with Laura, nearly five years later he still felt out of control most of the time. It made him sad that at nearly eighteen Stiles held herself more like a soldier than a teenager. She had seen too much in the time he had known her, suffered too much. Now she might be losing the one family member she had left.

Derek sat down on the porch steps as Stiles went another round with Kyle.

‘Don’t you think we should stop at some point?’ Kyle asked, clearly breathless.

Derek could see the sweat dripping off Stiles’ forehead, but when she glanced at the sky she didn’t look tired, her eyes were just blank.

‘We can stop if you want,’ she said. ‘Moonrise is in two hours. You don’t think we need to go over the plan again?’

‘The plan’s fine,’ Kyle said. ‘It’s simple and to the point. We go to the Nemeton at sundown, wait for the Alphas and the Darach. The Darach should take care of the Alphas and then we take care of the Darach. While we are doing that Allison and Lydia will be finding the parents.’

‘There’s so much that could go wrong,’ Stiles said.

Derek stood up, walking over to the pair.

‘We don’t know how it’s going to go down, or what the Alphas or the Darach has planned so we can’t plan anything too specific or we’ll get caught out and everything will fall apart around us.’

‘I guess,’ Stiles said. ‘I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s going to go wrong and we won’t be able to do anything about it.’

‘Maybe that’s because with the Hale pack something always does go wrong,’ a voice said from the porch of the house.

Derek saw Stiles suck in a breath as she looked to the porch and paled.

Derek turned around to find the boy that Stiles had gone out with leaning against the post at the top of the stairs.

‘I mean everything that’s gone wrong in this town over the past two years has had the Hale pack right at the centre of it. You guys don’t have a very good track record of getting things done before people get killed do you?’

‘Zeke?’

Stiles voice was quiet as she took a step forward, her hands shaking slightly.

‘And then there’s you,’ Zeke said, looking directly at Stiles. ‘The True Spark in the middle of the chaos. The True Spark in limbo, who is going to get her pack killed, the pack that she won’t align with but also won’t betray. You _are_ an enigma Stiles.’

‘What are you doing here?’ Derek asked. ‘And how do you know what we are?’

‘Oh little wolf,’ Zeke laughed. ‘I was the emissary to one of the most powerful packs in this state when you were still a pup, and let me tell you, you aren’t half the Alpha that Talia was.’

Derek took a step back as Zeke stood tall, his face flashing from the teenage boy visage to one that was clawed up and scarred. He could hear Stiles’ heart begin to race as Zeke shook his head, laughing, his face returning to normal.

‘You’re the Darach,’ Stiles choked out. ‘You’re the thing from my nightmares.’

‘I’m the storm that is going to bring the Alpha pack and Beacon Hills to its knees,’ Zeke said. ‘And you’re going to help me Stiles.’

‘Why would I help you?’ she asked, her voice braver as she took a few steps towards Zeke. ‘You’re a murderer.’

Zeke laughed. A sound that seemed so out of place given the circumstances. It made Derek’s skin crawl as Zeke’s features twisted, the darkness in his eyes bleeding through.

‘You’ll help me because I’m the only person who knows where your father is, where Allison’s father is, where Scott’s mother is. I’m also the person who holds their life in my hands.’

‘What do you want from me?’ Stiles asked.

‘I want your power,’ Zeke said. ‘I want the Alpha’s dead. I want Kali to suffer for what she did to me. However, I also know that Deucalion is coming for _you_ tonight, and I don’t have enough power on my own to destroy them until the blood moon. I want you to come with me now to help me so that I can kill them all.’

‘And how do I do that?’

‘You’ll see,’ Zeke said. ‘But I can promise that if you help me I will spare the parents and your pack. You’ll even get to walk away with your life. Everyone wins.’

‘And what then?’ Stiles asked. ‘What about after the Alphas are dead?’

Zeke laughed, ‘I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?’

Derek grabbed Stiles’ elbow as she took another step forward.

‘Stiles you don’t have to do this. We can find another way,’ he said, his voice low.

‘What other way?’ Stiles asked so quietly Derek almost didn’t hear. ‘He’s got my dad Derek. I can’t let him die. If I can stop it I have to go.’

‘You don’t know what he wants,’ Kyle said, stepping up next to her.

A sad smile graced Stiles’.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I have to find a way to save my dad.’

She stepped back and away from Derek, slipping her arm from his grasp. Zeke grabbed onto where Derek had let go, a dark smile on his face.

‘I’ll see you soon,’ Stiles said.

A whipping wind blew up, lifting leaves and dirt around them in a kind of tornado and forcing Derek to close his eyes against the force of it.

When the wind died down her opened his eyes again, his heart constricting in his chest.

Zeke was gone, and Stiles with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Darach is revealed! So I've totally diverged from the canon here, even though season three is my favourite season of all Teen Wolf. Oh well...


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**STILES**

Zeke’s magic was powerful as it battered against Stiles’ own. A dark wolf that constantly bit at the edge of her Spark as she stood beside him.

He had brought her to the Nemeton moments after she had agreed to come with him, a force Stiles had never felt before dragging them across Beacon Hills in the blink of an eye.

She had been standing in the same spot for the past hour and a half, forced to stay right beside the Nemeton by a barrier that Zeke had somehow erected around her.

Zeke himself was sitting in the middle of the stump, craving markings into the wood that Stiles recognised as Celtic but couldn’t read.

‘Why are we here Zeke?’ she asked for the hundredth time.

This time Zeke looked up.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his pupils huge as if sucking in all the light around them. It would have terrified Stiles if her heart hadn’t already been pounding in her chest since he had shown up on the porch.

‘You have a connection to the Nemeton Stiles,’ Zeke said, his voice unwaveringly calm. ‘When I came to this place the first time, the Nemeton gave me the power I needed to exact revenge. When I needed more power, it refused. I had to gain power another way.’

‘You murdered twelve innocent people for power,’ Stiles said, not hiding the disgust in her voice.

‘I sacrificed them like the Druids of old,’ Zeke said.

‘The Druids of old had honour,’ Stiles spat out. ‘They revered their jobs and did what they had to so that they could do what they had always sought out to do, maintain balance. You didn’t maintain it, you destroyed it.’

‘And by destroying the balance I can set it to rights again,’ Zeke said, a crazed smile on his face. ‘Don’t you see Stiles. The Alpha pack are an abomination, the only reason they can maintain the balance is because they break it in the first place.’

‘So like them you murder innocents to create your idealised version of what the balance requires. Twelve people died so you could get your revenge.’

‘It would have been fifteen, but by using your connection to the Nemeton I will be able to link the power that I have accumulated already to the Nemeton’s source, allowing the last three to live.’

‘So you’re using me as a conduit,’ Stiles said.

‘If you want to think of it that way,’ Zeke said, shrugging. ‘I like to think that you’re the Spark which will light the fire that will burn the Alpha pack to ashes.’

He finished carving the symbols into the wood, twelve in all. Stiles assumed it was one for each sacrificed.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Zeke pulled out twelve small vials from his pocket and began pouring their contents into the symbols.

‘The blood of the sacrifices binds the power to the Nemeton and through you I can absorb it.’

He finished pouring the blood into the symbols and stood up. Stiles was going to ask Zeke how he planned to do that but she didn’t get a chance to ask as he approached her.

Stiles took a step back, but before she could go anywhere she felt a wave of magic flow over her. It pulled her onto the Nemeton and then onto her to her knees so she was sat right in the centre of the stump. Her arms were pinned to her sides, stopping her from moving away from Zeke.

‘I came here willingly,’ Stiles gritted out as Zeke pulled a knife from his belt.

‘And I’m not stupid enough to think that you wouldn’t try something against me,’ Zeke said. ‘You have a volcano of magic inside you Stiles. I’d rather take precautions than have my plans ruined by an attempt at teenage rebellion from you.’

He unzipped the front of Stiles’ hoodie and pulled it off so that it was pooled around her waist. When she was sat kneeling in just her sports bra Zeke knelt in front of her.

‘I apologise,’ he said, his expression not matching his words. ‘This might hurt a bit.’

He brought the knife to Stiles’ collarbone and began carving a symbol into her skin.

The pain was excruciating, a mixture of the physical cutting and the wave of dark magic that Zeke sent through the mark. It rushed into her system like fire in her veins, burning her from the inside out.

Zeke carved another mark, this one on the other collarbone.

Stiles could hear herself screaming, but it sounded very far away, as if she was underwater.

The third mark was carved over her heart, the pain intensifying as Zeke drew more and more lines.

She barely registered when the pain stopped.

Opening her eyes she found Zeke standing in front of her. Her chest was burning and she could feel her magic roiling under her skin, trying to break through the barrier that was caging it in.

It took her a moment to realise that Zeke was talking to someone.

Her heart dropped as she glanced past Zeke and her eyes met with the bright red gaze of Derek Hale.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**DEREK**

The rage Derek was feeling was a living thing in his chest.

The moment his eyes had fallen on Stiles, screaming and bleeding in the middle of the tree, his wolf had begun clawing its way to the surface.

He felt rather than saw the pack fall into step behind him as he walked over to the Nemeton and the Darach at its centre.

The moon was already beginning to turn red.

Derek’s claws came out as he came to a stop at some kind of barrier around the tree.

‘Did you really think I would leave myself unprotected?’ Zeke asked, a manic smile on his face. ‘I’m not so naïve as to think you wouldn’t come Alpha Hale.’

Derek spared a glance for Stiles.

She was bleeding heavily from the symbols that had been carved in her chest, and although she was looking at Derek he wasn’t convinced that she was really seeing him. Her eyes had a worrying far off look as they glowed bright purple.

‘Let her go,’ Derek growled.

‘I can’t do that,’ Zeke said, moving to stand behind Stiles. ‘It’s like I said earlier. I need one last step to complete the ritual. It’s either Stiles or the parents.’

‘What are you doing to her?’ Derek asked.

‘You said she would be safe,’ Kyle said from beside Derek. ‘You said she would walk away with her life.’

‘I did,’ Zeke said. ‘But that is all I promised. It’s not Stiles’ life I want.’

Dread pooled in Derek’s stomach as Zeke spoke, a thought forming in his head.

‘You want my Spark,’ Stiles said from where she was kneeling in front of Zeke, confirming Derek’s fears.

‘It would seem that Stiles is the smart one of your little rag tag pack Derek,’ a voice said from behind him. ‘I always knew she had potential.’

Derek turned to find Deucalion and the Alpha pack sauntering into the clearing.

His betas growled behind him, as he took in the five figures.

‘Just in time,’ Zeke said, pulling Stiles to her feet. ‘The eclipse is mere seconds away, and then I will have the power to finally destroy you once and for all.’

Deucalion sighed theatrically.

‘You know I do so hate it when people underestimate me,’ Deucalion said. ‘It makes for such a disappointing ending.’

‘Tonight, is not a night for disappointment,’ Zeke said.

He looked triumphantly at the sky as the moon turned completely red, setting the sky ablaze.

In an instant Derek felt his power drain out of his veins. The Alpha spark he had come to rely on vanished, his wolf withering in his chest.

He barely heard it as his betas gasped behind him when their own power fled them. A glance at them told him they were feeling similar effects to him.

A growl across the clearing, however, had Derek’s heart beating loudly in his ears.

He turned to find the Alpha pack standing in formation at the very edge of the Nemeton, just outside the barrier.

Strangest of all, all of their eyes were still red.

‘No… No that’s not possible,’ Zeke said, his voice cracking.

The five wolves looked almost feral, stalking the edge of the barrier, pressing their claws against it to find weaknesses.

Derek narrowed his eyes as Stiles laughed, the sound turning to a cough.

Zeke yanked her to her feet, pulling her head back by her hair.

‘How?’ Zeke demanded, his voice a lot quieter to Derek’s now human ears than it had been minutes before.

‘You miscalculated oh mighty Druid,’ Stiles laughed. Her eyes had returned to their normal amber colour, the red sky making them look like they were on fire.

‘The blood moon only weakens the supernaturals link to nature. Under normal circumstances it would dampen the wolf, or the magic inside a person. But what you were relying on is what you also didn’t prepare for.’

A lightbulb flickered to life inside of Derek’s head, and he couldn’t help but smile.

‘The blood moon amplifies dark magic,’ he said.

Stiles glanced at him, mirroring his grin.

‘Do you know why Deucalion is called the Demon Wolf Zeke?’ Stiles asked. ‘You said it yourself that the only way they maintain balance is by destroying it in the first place. That upset of balance doesn’t just make them stronger, it changes them. Just like you their power doesn’t come from nature. It comes from darkness. Your power may be amplified by the blood moon,’ she paused as Deucalion let out a loud howl pressing his hands firmly against a weakness is Zeke’s barrier, ‘but so is theirs.’

The barrier around the tree broke.

With it gone Zeke had no protection against Deucalion and his pack. He was desperate. From experience Derek knew that despereate people tended to do drastic things.

When Deucalion took a step forward Zeke lifted the knife to Stiles’ throat, pressing hard enough to allow a rivulet of blood to roll down her collarbone.

‘Take one more step and I’ll kill your True Spark,’ Zeke said, ‘I know you want her for your precious Alpha pack. Let me walk away and I’ll let you have her.’

‘You think you can stand against me and live?’ Deucalion laughed. ‘I am the Alpha of Alphas. I am the apex of apex predators. I AM THE DEMON WOLF.’

As he spoke his features began to morph, his voice deepening, his skin darkening and his eyes becoming bright red orbs.

‘I will have my revenge,’ Deucalion said.

Derek caught Stiles’ smile out of the corner of his eye. His stomach twisted at the sight of it. It was a smile that usually meant mischief, and in typical Stiles’ fashion, trouble.

Derek felt the rush of power as the sky lost its red hue and his Alpha spark returned, his wolf immediately on the offensive as he took in the scene before him.

Zeke looked terrified, realising he had lost his window of opportunity.

Deucalion’s features changed back into the normal features of an Alpha werewolf.

‘Your five minutes are up,’ Stiles gritted out, her eyes flaring purple as her magic surfaced again and she stared at Deucalion with a smile. ‘The Nemeton sends her regards.’

She grasped Zeke’s hand, the one that held the knife to her throat.

‘By blood it began, and by blood it must end.’

Derek flinched at the familiar words that Stiles recited.

He watched in horror as Stiles pulled Zeke’s hand, and the dagger, towards her chest.

The tip plunged through her skin, right in the middle of the mark over her heart.

There was a moment where Derek went to run to Stiles as she fell to her knees, his heart beating out of his chest with fear.

When he took the first step Stiles opened her mouth in a silent scream, and the whole clearing exploded in bright white light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this chapter... but at the same time I don't because you're all going to hate me even more at the end of the next one :)


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**DEREK**

Derek fell to his knees from the force of the raw magic that flooded the area.

When the light cleared the first thing he saw was Zeke’s body, his eyes staring sightless and dead at the sky. His face was covered in scars and slashes, as if he had been clawed up.

Stiles was standing in the middle of the Nemeton.

The knife was in her hand, dripping with blood. In the centre of her chest was a dark gash where she had stabbed herself in the chest.

_She stabbed herself in her heart._

The thought made Derek want to be sick and scream at the same time, yet Stiles was standing in front of him, her eyes closed.

But there was something wrong.

Derek couldn’t hear her heart beating.

Deucalion and the Alpha pack picked themselves up from where they had been thrown to the floor as Derek’s pack did the same.

‘Well now that he is taken care of,’ Deucalion said, glancing at Zeke’s body, ‘it’s time to go Little Spark.’

Derek growled, taking a step towards Stiles at the same time Deucalion did.

‘Are you going to fight me for her Derek?’ Deucalion sneered.

‘I’ll kill you if you touch her,’ Derek snarled back at Deucalion, flashing his eyes.

‘I don’t think you could,’ laughed Deucalion.

He took another step, reaching for Stiles’ wrist.

The moment he touched her skin he flinched back as if he had been burned.

Stiles’ eyes flew open and the sight made Derek gasp.

The usual amber of her eyes had been replaced, instead they glowed a bright white.

When Derek looked at Deucalion he had gone pale.

Stiles walked forward, stepping down from the Nemeton. Her movements were fluid, none of the usual jitteriness and flailing that Derek had come to associate with Stiles.

The twins moved out of the way as she approached them, but she walked straight past. She stopped when she came to stand directly in front of Kali.

‘Who are you?’ Kali asked, her voice barely audible.

‘I answered the call of your emissary for vengeance against you,’ Stiles said, a familiar undercurrent to her voice that sent shivers down Derek’s spine. ‘I gave him the power to exact revenge, but he betrayed that power. Now he has paid.’

Stiles glanced at Zeke, still lying on the Nemeton. Kali’s gaze followed.

‘Killian?’ Derek heard her whisper under her breath, the shock evident in her voice.

‘You upset the balance Kali,’ Stiles said, turning back to the Alpha. ‘Now balance must be restored.’

‘And how will balance be restored?’ Kali asked, her claws extending as her eyes glowed. ‘Whoever you are you’ve chosen the wrong body to inhabit. You’re no match for me.’

Kali lifted her hand, going to swipe her claws across Stiles’ throat.

Stiles grabbed Kali’s wrist, twisting it until Derek heard a loud crack and Kali cried out in pain.

‘You may have power Kali,’ Stiles said, her eyes flashing brighter, ‘but I _am_ power.’

Quicker than Derek could follow with his eyes Stiles grabbed either side of Kali’s head and twisted hard. The sound of her neck breaking made Derek’s stomach roil.

‘Stiles stop,’ Derek said as she turned to look at the other Alphas. ‘Stiles this isn’t you.’

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to find Kyle standing beside him, Scott on his other side.

‘She can’t hear you,’ Kyle said quietly. ‘She’s not there. The Nemeton is in control now.’

His heart felt like it was going to explode as he watched Stiles walk over to Deucalion, Ennis and the Twins.

‘The power you have is not your own,’ Stiles said, stopping in front of Deucalion. ‘It was taken not given, and I demand reparations.’

She lifted her right hand and Derek and his pack watched in fascination as Stiles’ eyes glowed brighter. The Alphas all fell to their knees their eyes glowing.

One by one they gasped, grasping their heads.

Derek could barely breathe as one by one the Alphas eyes faded, turning from the vibrant red of an Alpha to beta gold before finally resting on a bright icy blue.

Stiles lowered her hands and the Alphas collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Finally, she turned to Derek, walking over to him.

Her scent filled his nose, the same as it always was, cookies and woods after a storm. But, there was a heavy smell of a lightning strike and power overlaying it.

‘Stiles, I…’

She cut him off, placing her fingers over his lips.

‘Shh, Alpha Hale,’ she said, her voice reminding him that it wasn’t Stiles. ‘There isn’t much time left and there are so many things I need to tell you, so many things Stiles wants you to know.’

‘She knew didn’t she?’ Derek asked, his voice choked. ‘She knew what it would cost.’

Stiles… The Nemeton smiled.

‘She knew,’ she said quietly. ‘The sacrifices had to be completed. Her willingness saved the lives of the three parents. Balance was restored. I had been feeding her the knowledge of what needed to transpire since the Kanima became a wolf. She isn’t sorry, not for what she had to do.’

‘And what about now?’ Derek asked, ‘I can’t hear her heartbeat.’

Stiles reached up, wiping away the tears that were now streaming down Derek’s face. She leaned forward, her breath tickling his neck as she whispered in his ear.

‘Just remember Alpha Hale. All you have to do is ask, and believe.’

She stepped back from him, a smile on her face.

‘I am truly sorry,’ she said.

Her eyes flickered, turning back to their usual amber colour. She took a deep breath as her heart started beating again and blood began to roll down her chest from the stab wound.

Derek caught her as she collapsed, slumping forward into his arms.

He turned her so she was lying in his lap. He pressed a hand to her chest, the blood warm under his fingers as he tried to slow the flow.

Tears streamed down his face as she looked into his eyes.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, her voice gasping.

He took her hand in one of his, but when he tried to draw the pain away nothing happened.

‘Why isn’t it working?’ he asked.

‘It’s because it doesn’t hurt,’ she replied, a small smile on her face.

‘Let me give you the bite,’ he said quickly. She shook her head. ‘Please.’

He knew he was begging, but he couldn’t let her die.

‘It wouldn’t work,’ she said quietly. ‘All I would get from you would be a really bad case of werewolf rabies.’

Derek choked on a laugh as Stiles coughed, blood trickling down the side of her mouth.

‘I never told you,’ she said, gasping. ‘I should have told you earlier, but I never did.’

‘Told me what?’ Derek asked, gripping her tightly.

‘I… I love you,’ she said, her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’ve always loved you, ever since I met you. I should have told you that day. I should never have left. I should have told you.’

‘I love you too,’ Derek replied. ‘I should have told you as well. I guess we’re just as stubborn as each other.’

Stiles laughed at that, the sound turning into another hacking cough.

‘Hold on Stiles, just hold on.’

He heard Scott on the phone to 911 behind him, asking for an ambulance.

‘I’m sorry Sourwolf,’ she whispered. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t have more time. I wish I had more time.’

‘We’ll have all the time in the world,’ Derek said. ‘You just have to hold on a little bit longer.’

She clasped their hands together, interweaving their fingers.

‘Just promise me that you’ll live,’ Stiles whispered. ‘Promise you’ll live for me.’

Derek nodded.

‘I promise,’ he whispered.

He watched as a bright light weaved itself over their skin. He could feel it moving through his hand. It didn’t hurt, instead it made him feel warm.

‘ _Nectendam Disseminari_.’

Derek didn’t recognise the words but as soon as Stiles spoke them the light faded, sinking into their skin and leaving a black weaving pattern, like a tattoo, behind.

At the same time her heart stopped beating.

Derek looked down at her face, so still it could almost like she was sleeping if it wasn’t for the gaping gash in her chest.

He gripped her to his chest, tears now flowing freely down his face.

The silence of Stiles’ heartbeat was deafening and Derek felt like his heart was shattering in his chest, the pain more unbearable than anything he had felt since Kate had set the fire.

Pulling her close Derek cried into her neck, begging her to wake up, even as Lydia’s banshee scream filled his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you really do hate me. Seriously I cried so much writing this chapter that it's almost unreal. Sorry not sorry. I promise I'll update soon. But for now, enjoy the cliff-hanger...


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**DEREK**

Derek didn’t know how long he sat clutching Stiles’ body before he heard the sound of someone crashing through the treeline.

He looked up to find Deaton standing by the Nemeton with a woman he didn’t recognise.

Deaton’s face was blank as he took in Derek and Stiles, both of them covered in her blood.

The woman with Deaton rushed over to Derek and fell to her knees beside Stiles, pushing Stiles' hair out of her face.

Deaton walked over slowly, setting down his bag beside Derek.

The woman lifted Stiles left hand and a smile broke out on her face as she took in the swirling tattoo.

‘She did it Deaton,’ the woman whispered. ‘She actually managed to do it.’

‘Imogen?’

Kyle ran over to the woman and she pulled him into a hug. His face was streaked with tears as he pulled back.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

‘We need to do this now Imogen,’ Deaton said, ‘before we lose her completely.’

‘What do you mean lose her completely,’ Scott asked from behind Derek.

‘Stiles isn’t gone,’ Imogen said, kneeling back down next to Derek. ‘At least she’s not gone yet.’ She looked at Derek. ‘What was the last thing she said?’ she asked him.

He shook his head. ‘Something in a language I didn’t understand,’ he said.

‘Something like _Nectendam Disseminari_?’ the woman, Imogen, asked.

Derek nodded.

Imogen took his hand, the one with a tattoo matching Stiles’.

‘Stiles knew the cost of what she had to do,’ Imogen said. ‘She knew she would probably die. If she had been bonded to you as your emissary she couldn’t have completed the sacrifice because her bond would have stopped her damaging the pack like that.’

‘So what did she do instead?’ Lydia asked, her voice clear despite her tears.

‘She bound her life to the Nemeton,’ Deaton said, his voice grave, ‘and to Derek.’

‘In a sense it’s the start of an emissary bond a True Spark makes to their pack,’ Imogen said. ‘But in this case she hasn’t bound it to the pack through the Alpha, she had just bound herself to Derek himself.’

‘So how do we bring her back?’ Derek asked.

‘We complete the ritual,’ Imogen said. ‘The binding ritual.’

‘How do we do that?’ asked Derek.

Imogen and Deaton stood.

‘Pick her up Derek,’ Deaton said. ‘Place her in the centre of the Nemeton.’

Derek did as Deaton asked, Scott and Isaac moving Zeke’s body away.

Stiles looked so small and pale against the tree stump as Derek took a step back from her body.

He watched as Imogen leant over Stiles, her hand hovering over her chest. Derek watched as the symbols Zeke had cut into her skin and the stab wound all closed up, leaving flawless skin behind.

Deaton took a small ceremonial knife from his bag and took Imogen’s place, carving a symbol into Stiles chest where the stab wound had been moments before.

‘Derek come over here please,’ Imogen said.

He went over and knelt next to Stiles, across from Imogen. He noticed that Deaton had carved a Triskelion into Stiles skin.

Deaton handed the knife to Imogen and she dipped it into a powder before looking at Derek.

‘I need to warn you Derek. We might be able to complete the ritual, but there is no guarantee that Stiles will come back. If we can even get her heart going again that’s one victory, after that it’s a matter of whether she will wake up or not. There are no certains in this.’

Derek swallowed the lump in his throat.

‘I understand,’ he said.

‘Take off your shirt,’ she said.

He did as she asked.

‘I’m going to have to carve the same symbol into your chest,’ she said. ‘It will be the physical representation of Stiles bond to you and the pack. The knife is coated in a mixture of mountain ash and wolfsbane so the wound won’t heal. You'll be left with a scar.’

Derek nodded, and winced when Imogen started carving the symbol above his heart, the mountain ash making the wound burn.

Once she was done Imogen placed a hand over the symbol on Derek’s chest, while placing her other hand over the symbol on Stiles’ chest. Her eyes began to glow and soft green colour.

‘Heart to heart, bond to bond,’ Imogen said. ‘We bind these lives to each other to balance what they lack.’

Tendrils of green magic climbed from the Nemeton, wrapping their way around Stiles body and across Derek’s legs and up his chest and arms.

‘Bond to bond, heart to heart. We ask for what was taken to be given back.’

Derek grimaced as the magic poured into the mark on his chest, the burning in his chest intesifying.

He placed a hand on the Nemeton, remembering what she had said to him. He begged her for Stiles to be returned to the pack, to be returned to him.

‘Heart to heart, bond to bond. We ask to bind the Spark, the Alpha and the pack.’

A wave of bright light surged up from the Nemeton.

Derek closed his eyes against the brightness and the force of the magic flowing around him.

He swore he could hear Stiles laughing in his head, but as soon as the sound came it went. The light dying around him.

Imogen slumped away from Stiles and Derek, Deaton bracing her as she breathed heavily.

‘Did it work?’ asked Lydia from where she was standing with the pack next to the Nemeton.

Derek paused, not breathing as he zoned his hearing on Stiles chest.

It felt like an eternity as they waited and waited.

He nearly cried when he heard it, relief flooding his chest as Stiles’ heart took its first solid beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been super busy over the past week with uni work. But hey, Stiles lives...


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**STILES**

Stiles felt like she was treading water. Sounds and smells flooded in and out of her senses as she tried to kick to the surface.

As she broke the surface she took a deep breath. The air tasted sweet in her lungs and she noticed she was warm, really warm.

Sitting up her eyes finally came into focus.

She was lying in a bed, a mountain of blankets laid over her on top of the duvet.

The room she was in was plain. A bed, a chest of drawers, mirror and dark blue walls.

She rubbed her hands over her face and her eyes caught the mass of swirling ink over her left hand. She vaguely remembered the light twisting around her hands and someone else’s. Derek’s it was Derek’s hand she had been holding she realised.

She gasped as a flood of memories crashed down on her.

She had died. She had stabbed herself in the chest and died.

Pushing the duvet and blankets off of her she raced over to the mirror, pulling the hoodie she was wearing open.

Instead of the symbols Zeke had carved and a stab wound, she saw there was only one symbol on her chest. A Triskelion.

It looked like it had been cut into her skin and scarred over, the lines stark and dark red.

When she touched it she sucked in a breathe.

A wave of feelings washed over her so fast she couldn’t keep up. Sadness, restlessness, worry.

But, there was another feeling that overwhelmed the rest of them. It was so strong it felt like a second heartbeat under her skin and when she pulled her hand away from the mark it didn’t go away like the rest of them. Instead it settled like a string wrapped around her heart.

Zipping up her hoodie she went over to the door and wrenched it open.

She was in the Hale House she realised, Derek’s house.

She found the stairs, taking them down to the bottom floor.

The living room was empty, as was the kitchen and she felt a shiver run over her skin at the thought that she was alone.

Stepping out of the back door she found the pack in the back garden. Isaac and Scott were play fighting on the grass. Lydia was sitting chatting to Allison on a bench next to the barbeque where her dad and Chris Argent were standing arguing over how to cook chicken while Melissa tried to mediate. Erica was snuggled into Boyd’s chest, the two of them wrapped in a blanket as they watched Scott and Isaac.

Kyle, Imogen and Deaton were all sitting on garden chairs in deep conversation.

Derek was sitting in a chair on the back porch, observing his pack. His chin was in his hands, the slope of his shoulder showing his exhaustion.

‘I thought I made you promise to me that you would do a bit of living for me Sourwolf,’ she said.

Derek’s head whipped round at her voice.

He had dark circles under his eyes and they were wide as he stood staring at her.

‘You look more like the living dead to be honest,’ Stiles laughed.

Derek took a faltering step towards her, his mouth slightly parted, almost as if he couldn't believe she was standing in front of him.

He reached out his hand, tentatively touching her skin before running his fingers over her cheek and into her hair. She leant into the touch, clasping her hand over his own.

The touch broke whatever spell was on Derek and he pulled her towards him, crushing her in a hug as he cried.

When he pulled back she found the rest of the pack was standing around her, all of them crying.

Her dad pushed through the group to Stiles.

‘Hey dad,’ she said quietly, her voice choked.

He pulled her into his arms, tears of his own running down his face.

‘I missed you kiddo,’ he said in her ear.

As she pulled away she felt someone punch her arm and found Lydia standing next to her, arms crossed over her chest and fury in her eyes.

‘Never pull a stunt like that again Stilinski,’ she said, her voice sounding more concerned than angry.

‘I promise if I do that you can bring me back just to kill me again,’ Stiles said, as she wrapped Lydia in a hug.

The pack laughed.

‘It’s good to have you back Stiles,’ Lydia said sincerely. ‘We thought we had lost you.’

Stiles looked at her feet.

‘You almost did,’ she admitted. ‘How long was I out?’

‘Five days,’ Isaac said.

She looked at the group and saw the tightness in all of their faces, the weariness.

‘Well the burgers are almost ready if you want something to eat,’ her dad said, breaking the tension.

‘You know you’re not allowed burgers dad,’ Stiles whined. ‘I’m asleep for less than a week and you’re already eating prohibited foods.’

‘Hey,’ her dad said. ‘My daughter died, then gets bound to a werewolf pack through some freaky spark bond thing. I’m allowed a little bit of red meat as consolation.’

Stiles grimaced as her stomach grumbled loudly.

‘Fine,’ she said. ‘But only for today.’

The rest of the pack chuckled, heading over to the barbeque. Scott wrapped his arm around her neck and dragged her along as well.

She looked around for Derek, but he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter, we're on the home straight!


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**STILES**

**FOUR DAYS LATER**

Stiles sat next to the Nemeton as she had every day since she had woken up.

The first time she had returned was to see the Alpha pack leaving town. She had smiled that day, for the first time in a long time.

That same day she had returned she was surprised to find a fully grown tree in place of the stump that she had seen last time. It seemed that with the balance restored the Nemeton had a chance to flourish again.

She was sitting at the base of the tree, legs crossed and eyes closed, when she felt a twinge of apprehension in the mark on her chest.

She had talked to Deaton about the mark the same day she had woken up and he had explained to her that it worked like a pack bond. She could feel each member of the pack and in turn they could feel her as if she was a wolf.

It took a little bit more research before she figured out what the feeling of the string around her heart meant.

The feelings of apprehension got stronger as someone stepped up behind Stiles.

‘I’ve been wondering when you would finally talk to me,’ she said.

She opened her eyes and stood, turning to face Derek.

She hadn’t seen him since the day she had woken, and she knew that he had been avoiding her. In all honestly she didn’t blame him.

He still looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, the dark circles under his eyes attesting to restless nights.

‘I don’t blame you if you hate me,’ she said quietly. ‘I would be blaming me if I were you.’

She felt a flare of anger and sadness in her mark.

‘Stiles…’

‘I’m sorry for what I did,’ she said, powering ahead, ignoring Derek. ‘I’m not sorry for doing it, it saved the lives of my dad and Melissa and Chris Argent. Even if they hadn’t been in danger I would still have done it because either the Darach would have killed the pack or the Alphas would have and I couldn’t have that, I couldn’t see more people I love getting hurt. But, I am sorry for the pain I caused the pack. The pain I caused you. I just…’

‘Stiles,’ Derek said, grabbing Stiles’ chin so that she looked him in the eye.

He had a slight smile on his face and when Stiles focused on the mark all she could feel was a warm sensation spreading through her chest.

‘I don’t hate you,’ Derek said quietly. ‘I don’t think I ever could hate you. I know you did what you had to. You saved me and the pack and for that I am so so grateful.’

‘Then why have you been avoiding me?’ Stiles asked quietly.

Derek took a deep breathe.

‘Because I watched you die,’ he replied, his voice hoarse. ‘I had just told you I loved you and then I heard your heart stop and my whole world came crashing down around me. I thought I would never see you again. Then when we completed the ritual and your heart started again I thought you would never wake up, so when you did I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know if you remembered anything, or if you even still felt the same way. I was so scared.’

‘So you ran,’ Stiles replied.

‘So I ran,’ said Derek.

Stiles huffed a laugh.

‘You can be really stupid sometimes Derek Hale,’ she said. ‘So stupid and so blind.’

He looked at her confused.

She took his hand and placed it on her chest over her mark.

‘I didn’t tell you what was going to happen because I wasn’t sure it would work,’ Stiles said. ‘There were things that had to be certain for it to work. But then I told you I loved you, and you said it back, and I knew. I just knew it would work.’

‘What do you mean?’ Derek asked.

‘The ritual I performed before I…’ she paused, ‘before I died, wasn’t a normal binding ritual.’

‘Imogen said that you had bound your life to the Nemeton, and to me.’

‘I did,’ Stiles said. ‘But it’s a ritual that can only be completed under very particular circumstances.’

‘What circumstances?’ Derek asked.

‘Follow the bond,’ Stiles said quietly. ‘Look for your bond to me and follow it.’

Stiles watched as a look of concentration came over Derek’s face. A few moments later she felt a tug at the string around her heart.

Derek’s eyes flew to Stiles’ in realisation.

‘That’s not possible,’ Derek whispered.

Stiles laughed.

‘It wasn’t the emissary bond I latched onto Derek,’ she said, grabbing his hands in hers. ‘It was the mate bond. I had felt it before, a slight tugging at my heart. I didn’t know what it was until I talked to Deaton. I wasn’t even sure the ritual would work which is why I didn’t tell you.’

‘So you and I we’re…’ Derek trailed off.

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I basically werewolf married you.’

Derek snorted, before bursting out laughing, tears pooling in his eyes.

She flashed her eyes at him and he smiled at what she knew he saw, what she had seen in the mirror only the day before. One eye purple, and one red, the eyes of a True Spark who was also an Alpha’s mate.

Stiles leant into the touch as Derek clasped her cheek and pulled her towards him. She barely registered what he was doing before he kissed her.

His lips were soft, and urgent as he clasped his hand around the back of her neck and she ran her fingers through his hair

In that moment Stiles forgot all about her worries, about the events of the past few days, about the responsibilities she had to the pack now that she was mated to Derek.

In that moment it was just her and Derek and the love that was bursting through the mate bond.

In that moment everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it. The final chapter is done and the fic complete. Thank you so much for all your support for this story. I have loved writing it. I might continue on the series, but I also have a few ideas for other Sterek fics. Tell me what you would like to see! Maybe I could have a couple of fics running at the same time...

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first ever Teen Wolf Fanfic. Most of the characters, settings and plot points belong to the showrunners and creators. I'm going to try and put up at least a chapter a week. Not sure yet how long this is going to be but I've written a good chunk of it so far. The story will switch between Stiles and Derek's POVs. Hope you enjoy!


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